A dental crown is a tooth-shaped “cap” that is placed over a tooth – covering the tooth to restore its shape and size, strength, and/or to improve its appearance. The crown, when cemented into place, fully encases the entire visible portion of a tooth that lies at and above the gum line.
Why is a Dental Crown Needed?
A dental crown may be needed in the following situations:
- To protect a weak tooth (for instance, from decay) from breaking or to hold together parts of a cracked tooth.
- To restore an already broken tooth or a tooth that has been severely worn down.
- To cover and support a tooth with a large filling when there isn’t a lot of tooth left.
- To hold a dental bridge in place.
- To cover misshaped or severely discolored teeth.
- To cover a dental implant.
Types of Crowns
Dr. Samuel Taller, a dentist based in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, NY details these different options.
- Porcelain-fused-to-metal dental crowns can be color matched to your adjacent teeth (unlike the metallic crowns). However, more wearing to the opposing teeth occurs with this crown type compared with metal or resin crowns. The crown’s porcelain portion can also chip or break off. Next to all-ceramic crowns, porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns look most like normal teeth. However, sometimes the metal underlying the crown’s porcelain can show through as a dark line, especially at the gum line and even more so if your gums recede. These crowns can be a good choice for front or back teeth.
- Metal & Gold Crowns
Metal crowns provide a strong bond, are fracture-resistant, and do not wear away teeth. These crowns typically consist of gold, copper, and other metals. Some metal crowns are made of non-noble metals, which are very strong and corrosion-resistant. Metal-based crowns can be made very thin therefore, they require the least amount of removal, making them a more conservative option. Crowns made of gold fit the tooth the best and also last the longest.
- Porcelain (Cosmetic) Crowns
All-ceramic or all-porcelain dental crowns provide the best natural color match than any other crown type and may be more suitable for people with metal allergies. They are strong, durable, and do not chip or break easily. However, they are not as strong as porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns and they wear down opposing teeth a little more than metal or resin crowns. All-ceramic crowns are a great choice for front teeth.
- Zirconia Crowns
Zirconia looks similar to porcelain, but is actually a metal which is tooth colored and much stronger than porcelain. However, porcelain crowns best resemble natural tooth color. In many cases, the cosmetics obtained with Zirconia is good and the esthetic technology is continually improving. If you grind your teeth (bruxism), a zirconia crown is a good choice.
- All-Resin Crowns
All-resin dental crowns are less expensive than other crown types. However, they wear down over time and are more prone to fractures than other types of crowns.
Stainless steel crowns are only used to restore primary (baby) teeth and are designed to last till the tooth exfoliates (“falls out”). SSCs are placed after pulpotomy treatment (a “baby tooth root canal”) or when normal cavity fillings, such as amalgam fillings, are likely to fail.
If you require a crown, Dr. Taller will discuss all the types of crowns with you so you can decide the best crown to suit your individual needs. Dr. Taller is conveniently located at 3601 Waldo Avenue, Riverdale, NY 10463. Call 718-543-3704 to make an appointment or schedule online.
