Dental Crowns: An Overview
Dental crowns are usually prepared from porcelain and will fit over the top of a tooth like a cap, totally encasing it.
What Are Dental Crowns Made Of?
Traditionally, dental crowns have been crafted from a variety of materials. Decades ago, metals like gold or silver were a common choice, prized for their strength and durability—even if they weren’t winning any beauty contests. Over time, porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns became popular as they provided both resilience and a decent cosmetic match.
Today, modern porcelain crowns are the front-runner. Thanks to advances in dental ceramics, they do a standout job mimicking the look of natural teeth, making them an ideal pick for anyone wanting their restoration to blend in seamlessly. Whether it’s all-porcelain, porcelain over metal, or even the old-school gold, there’s a crown material to suit every situation and preference. Dentists typically use them to restore a tooth’s function and appearance. They are a must when decay in a tooth has become so advanced that bigger portions of the tooth must be extracted. Laurel Smiles Dental Care offers effective ceramic porcelain crowns in Laurel, MD, that are absolutely natural looking and will blend in easily with your smile.
What Types of Dental Crowns Are Available?
When it comes to dental crowns, you have several materials to choose from, each with its own benefits. The most popular choice today is all-porcelain or ceramic crowns. These crowns closely mimic the look and translucency of natural teeth, making them ideal for restoring front teeth or any area where aesthetics are a priority. With great care, porcelain crowns can last for decades.
Other options include metal crowns, such as gold or silver alloys. While they may not look as natural, they’re extremely durable and resist wear, which makes them a solid option for back teeth that do most of the heavy chewing. There’s also the option of porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns. This blend provides the strength of metal with the tooth-like appearance of porcelain, striking a balance between function and cosmetic appeal.
Your dentist can help select the best material based on your needs, the location of the tooth, and your desired look.
Dental Crown Materials: From Porcelain to Precious Metals
When thinking to get a dental crown, you’ll find there are several materials available, each with their own advantages. While porcelain crowns are now the most common choice for their lifelike look and strength, crowns can also be crafted using other substances. Traditional options like gold and silver remain available for those who prefer their durability and classic appeal. Some crowns combine porcelain fused to a metal base—offering the best of both worlds: the strength of metal with the ultimate natural appearance of porcelain.
Your dentist will help you choose the right material depending on the location of the tooth, your personal preferences, and the outcome you desire. Regardless of the material, dental crowns are designed to restore both form and function, while blending with your overall smile.
Dentists also utilize dental crowns for other dental procedures. They utilize them to attach dental bridges, cover dental implants, avoid a cracked tooth from turning worse, or cover a discolored tooth. This makes them a significantly crucial part of our restorative dentistry solutions, as they generally work alongside other treatments.
DENTAL CROWNS IN LAUREL, MD
As your highly trusted restorative dentist in Laurel, MD, we look really forward to seeing if dental crowns can assist you in preserving your smile. Our main goal is to provide you with great information to make a fully-informed decision on bettering your dental health. One of the best things about dental crowns is the variety of things dentists can use them for. Crowns have both cosmetic and restorative uses.
From a cosmetic standpoint, dental professionals often rely on professional whitening treatments to brighten stained teeth. However, some types of discoloration—especially those caused by trauma, non-vital teeth, or deeply embedded stains—don’t respond well to whitening alone. In such cases, a dental crown can be an effective alternative. It fully encases the affected tooth and can be custom-shaded to blend with your natural smile. If a tooth is oddly shaped or has imperfections, a crown can conceal the issue and restore its appearance and function.
Crowns help us retain your natural teeth and reduce the need for complete extractions. When a tooth is significantly damaged or fractured, a crown can hold the fragments together and maintain the integrity of the natural root. It restores the missing part of the tooth, allowing you to chew and speak properly again. Irregularly shaped teeth may also interfere with eating or speech, and crowns effectively resolve this by providing a fully functional replacement.
Lastly, crowns are commonly used to reinforce a tooth after root canal therapy. After removing the infected tissue and filling the space with a safe, biocompatible substance, dentists place a crown to keep the tooth strong and shield it from new infections. Custom-made crowns are also the final step in completing a dental implant. They are crafted to match your surrounding teeth, making your smile look natural and seamless.
Essential Dental Crown FAQs: Everything You Need to Know
Getting affordable dental crowns near you typically requires two to three appointments. First, we take impressions of your teeth to make sure the personalized crown fits naturally with your existing smile. Next, the dentist reshapes the surface of the affected tooth to make room for the new crown. A temporary cap, usually made from composite material, is then placed over the prepared tooth. Once your custom porcelain crown is crafted in our dental lab, we"ll schedule a follow-up visit to replace the temporary crown and securely bond the final one with strong dental adhesive.
HOW LONG DO DENTAL CROWNS NEAR YOU LAST?A dental crown could last up to 15 years, and sometimes longer, depending on your oral hygiene habits. It is very important to brush and floss your dental crown just as you would your natural teeth to avoid buildup around your gum line.
WHAT SHOULD I DO IF MY CROWN COMES OFF?If your temporary crown becomes loose or falls out, contact our clinic right away. An uncovered tooth may become sensitive to temperature changes, such as hot or cold foods. Over time, nearby teeth might also begin to shift, which can affect how your permanent crown fits. We"ll do our best to provide you with a replacement temporary crown quickly. If your final crown becomes detached, you can use non-prescription dental adhesive to hold it in place temporarilyu2014then call our office to schedule a visit for a proper refitting.
HOW IS A DENTAL CROWN DIFFERENT FROM A PORCELAIN VENEER?Porcelain veneers are mainly used for appearance-related improvements, whereas dental crowns serve a more functional, restorative role. Veneers cover just the front surface of a tooth, while a crown surrounds and reinforces the entire tooth. A one-on-one consultation with your dentist can help decide which option aligns better with your dental goals.
WHAT SHOULD YOU AVOID AFTER GETTING A CROWN?Following a crown placement, individuals are advised to refrain from eating until the numbness from anesthesia subsidesu2014typically around 30 minutes post-procedure. It"s also recommended to consume soft foods for a few days, giving the mouth time to adjust comfortably to the new crown.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO TREAT A CAVITY BENEATH A CROWN?When decay develops beneath a crown, the only effective solution is to remove the existing crown, clean out the decayed area entirely, restore the tooth structure, and then fit a new crown in place.