Introduction

A dental crown is a tooth-shaped cap that is used to cover a weakened or damaged tooth. A dental crown not only protects a cracked or decayed tooth, it even restores its strength and supports its functionality. The restorative/supporting aspect is again reflected in the use of dental crowns for holding dental bridges and dental implants in place.

Placing a dental crown was initially considered a dental restoration procedure; these days, however, it is a part of cosmetic dentistry and so dental crowns are increasingly being used to cover misshaped or severely discolored teeth and improve the appearance of a tooth to a great extent.

Dental Restoration and Dental Crowns

As already hinted, dental crowns cover a damaged tooth completely, encasing the entire visible portion of the tooth above the gum-line. This way, the dental crown serves as a new outer covering, shielding it from regular onslaughts (hence, protecting against further damages) and strengthening the very tooth-structure.

As such, dental crowns are made in dental laboratories by expert technicians. They make dental crowns of the perfect anatomy after they have thoroughly followed your jaw movements, etc, from different angles. This is a completely methodical/scientific approach and it will be no exaggeration if we say that placing a dental crown is by far the best restorative procedure that one can go for.

Placing the dental crown is a lengthy procedure you need, at least, two sessions with the dentist but at the end, it promises a long-term (if not life-time) solution for your trouble-creating tooth. To start with, your dentist inspects the damaged tooth for infections and/or injuries; very often X-rays are taken to check the root condition of the teeth. After this initial inspection, the dentist goes ahead with the real procedure anesthetizing the tooth and gum-tissue in the surrounding area, filing down the tooth from sides and top-chewing surface (to make enough room for the dental crown), even using filling material to fill a missing part if need arises.

It is only after all this has been done and the tooth reshaped that the dentist takes the impression of the tooth. (This impression serves as the model for the actual dental crown). As it takes nearly 2 to 3 weeks to make a permanent dental crown, the tooth is covered with a temporary crown for this period. The permanent crown is cemented in place during the second session with the dentist.

Here it would be worth mentioning that just as great care is taken in positioning a dental crown, adequate pre-caution should also be practiced in choosing the material for the dental crowns. Thus, while materials like acrylic and stainless steel are used for temporary crowns, ceramic, porcelain, different metal alloys (like gold, palladium, etc.) are used for making permanent crowns. Metallic dental crowns are known for their longevity and last some 5 to 15 years. The one big disadvantage with metallic dental crowns is their lustrous metallic colors; although you can safely use these for the out-of-the-view molars, they are a misfit as incisors or canines or even as the pre-molars. The best option of all is the porcelain-fused-to-metal dental crown. The porcelain plus metal dental crowns do not wear or chip easily and even look like your normal teeth.

Cosmetic Dentistry and Dental Crowns

When it comes to the use of dental crowns for improving the appearance of the teeth, say to re-shape a misshaped tooth or cover up stains, dentists have expressed differing opinion. With the rising trend of the use of materials like ceramic, porcelain and porcelain-fused-to-metal for making dental crowns, dentists worldwide have recognized dental crowning as a great cosmetic dentistry solution for re-shaping a tooth.

Using dental crowns to cover up or hide stains or discolored teeth is something that scientists are dead set against. Considering the rather protracted dental crown placing procedure, simple solutions like tooth veneers easily win over; they are backed by dental surgeons. Even teeth whitening procedures like teeth bleaching are favored for getting rid of stains.

So, with your dental crown in place, your tooth-problem will be at bay for long, long period and you will enjoy a normal life munching and chewing. Nevertheless, getting dental crowns cemented just for a charming smile should never be the option.