A crown (or cap) is a covering that encases the entire tooth surface restoring it to its original shape and size. A crown protects and strengthens tooth structure that cannot be restored with fillings or other types of restorations.
Although there are several types of crowns, porcelain (tooth colored crown) are the most popular, because they resemble your natural teeth. They are highly durable and will last many years, but like most dental restorations, they may eventually need to be replaced. Porcelain crowns are made to match the shape, size, and color or your teeth giving you a natural, long-lasting beautiful smile.
Reasons for a Crown:
- Broken or fractured teeth.
- Cosmetic enhancement.
- Decayed teeth.
- Fractured fillings.
- Large fillings.
- Tooth has a root canal.
When are dental crowns necessary?
Dentists put crowns on teeth when the teeth require crowns. That is when the tooth is fractured. It's broken to the extent that a simple filling cannot sustain the chewing forces. When a tooth is root canal treated or there is an extremely large cavity that is going underneath your gum and a filling won't suffice.
What are the pros of dental crowns and bridges?
There are a lot of pros for dental crowns and dental bridges. Number one is that dental crowns or a bridge replace your missing tooth structure. That's number one and applies to a missing tooth when it comes to bridges.
Number two, it's a harder material than our own teeth, giving us more strength for chewing normally.
Number three, it replaces teeth, providing better aesthetics, and if a tooth is missing, it is replaced by a dental crown or a bridge. A bridge is essentially crowns joined together, replacing the tooth that is missing by taking the support of the adjacent two teeth of the missing area.
What type of dental crown is best?
A hardy one. We like to use a solid zirconia crown. Many people also like to use bone crowns, but we don't because they're not aesthetically pleasing. A solid zirconia crown is 1200 times harder than our teeth, creating a good surface area and absorbing the impact of our chewing forces, sustaining functionality to the best of its capabilities. Emac crowns are best for front teeth because they are very aesthetically pleasing and can be manipulated to the desired shape and form, making it difficult for people to differentiate between an artificial tooth and your own.
Are dental crowns necessary for front and back teeth?
Sometimes it's possible to avoid dental crowns for your front teeth, but for back teeth, it's absolutely necessary to get a crown after a root canal is done. Back teeth need more chewing forces because they are our chewing teeth, so they require a harder material.
Front teeth are more for aesthetics and don't handle major chewing forces. They are just for cutting, grinding, or shearing, so they can use a lighter material that is more aesthetically pleasing.
For back teeth, use zirconia, and for front teeth, use Emac crowns, which are actually stronger than our own teeth.
What are the steps to getting a dental crown?
The steps are fairly simple. Once you come in and a crown has been recommended, we reshape the tooth, take impressions of the tooth, and send those impressions to the lab to manufacture the permanent crown. In the interim period, we make you a temporary crown from temporary material, which is meant to be there for only a short span of time.
We bring you back in about a week or 10 days. At that time, we'll try the new permanent crown we receive from the lab. If all looks good to me, I'll show it to you. If it all looks good to you, then we'll cement it in. If it doesn't look good to me, I won't show it to you. Or if it doesn't look good to you, then we send it back to the lab for corrections. Some kind of anesthesia, such as lidocaine or septocaine, is required for the procedure.
Once the crown is done, we ask our patients to treat it like their own teeth with the same brushing, eating, and care twice a day, every day.
Can dental crowns be done in one visit?
They can be done in one visit if your dentist is able to do so. It's an easy process, though possibly lengthy. The procedure is fairly simple here at Capitol Dentists.
How long can dental crowns last?
Dental crowns can last a lifetime. I've seen crowns lasting a lifetime because patients have maintained good oral hygiene at home and there are no other impacts, such as cavities developing.
However, they can also last a shorter time span due to poor oral hygiene, cavities developing on the tooth, grinding or clenching your teeth, and other habits such as biting nails or chewing pencils. These factors can impact the longevity of the crown.
How can you detect tooth decay under a crown?
Most of the time, the patient cannot detect tooth decay underneath the crown unless the tooth has not been root canal treated and cavities reach the nerve, causing irritation and sensitivity. During your dental checkups, we take X-rays and examine you to check the crowns and inform you if there's any issue.
How much do dental crowns cost?
The cost depends on the tooth being worked on, the materials used, and the desired outcome. Dental crowns vary for different types of teeth. For back teeth, which are our chewing teeth, they take the major impact of chewing forces around 300,000 PSI. Thus, a harder material is used for these teeth. Front teeth, which are part of our aesthetic zone, need more aesthetic crowns with a material that is more translucent and gives a natural look. The dentist collaborates with the lab to create natural-looking teeth.
Do you need a crown after a root canal?
More than likely, yes. After a root canal, the tooth becomes brittle as it no longer has a blood supply. Once the tooth becomes brittle, it has a higher chance of fracturing. A crown prevents that from happening.
Do children get dental crowns?
Some children do get crowns, and these are different from adult crowns. The process of getting a dental crown is fairly simple. The pain is not from the crown itself, but from the pinch of the needle when we numb you up.
What causes tooth pain under a crown?
Tooth pain is caused when the nerve is irritated underneath a crown. It can result from micro leakage of bacteria from a cavity that led to the crown in the first place. This might lead to needing a root canal or waiting for the body to take care of it. If a cavity occurs under a dental crown, the crown needs to be removed, the cavity cleaned, the tooth restructured, and a new crown put in.
Are dental crowns covered by insurance?
Some part of the crown is covered by dental insurance, depending on your plan. If you're getting a root canal done and are worried about a fracture or issue with your tooth, consult us at Capitol Dentists to determine if you need a filling or a crown. If needed, get it done as soon as possible to prevent fractures, breakage, or worse, root canals.
If you’re looking for dental care you can trust, call us at (202) 223-2070 or email [email protected]. We’re here to help you have the smile you've always wanted!
