DENTAL CROWNS
As one of many cosmetic and restorative dental procedures performed at our Perfect Hollywood Smile office, dental crowns can be very beautiful and natural looking in appearance. In order to make them look as natural as possible and ensure that they match your existing teeth we work in conjunction with our lab specialist to create the highest quality crowns possible. Crowns are typically recommended when tooth damage is far too extensive for a filling, inlay, or onlay.
What Is a Crown?
In basic terms, a crown is a fixed dental prosthetic that is tooth-shaped in appearance, and is placed over a badly damaged or severely decayed tooth. These are needed if you have broken a cusp, or have had a root canal on a molar or bicuspid. Or, when 2/3 or more of the tooth structure is missing and the filling is large. They can be cemented onto an existing tooth or attached to a dental implant. Dentists and prosthodontists use dental crowns to cover an implant or cap a tooth that has been severely damaged. Our crowns can also be used to hold dental bridges in place and improve one’s appearance. We oftentimes use them to cover a badly discolored or misshaped tooth, as well.
Reasons for Getting Crowns
There are a number of reasons why your Perfect Hollywood Smile dentist might recommend that you get a crown. For instance, it may be used to preserve a tooth that has been damaged excessively. Dental crowns may be recommended to correct the following situations:
- brittle or weakened teeth
- broken or severely damaged teeth
- excessive decay that can’t be repaired with an onlay
- filling failures
- fractured teeth
- metal filling damage
- misshaped or short teeth
- root canals
- teeth that are discolored and cannot be improved by whitening
Crowns can also be used as the artificial teeth for dental implants. However, we also use crowns to replace the entire outside surface of a tooth whenever necessary.
Different Types of Materials
Crowns can either be made to order after a visit to the dentist or prefabricated ahead of time out of plastic or stainless steel. These can be used temporarily until we’ve made you a permanent crown. Crowns can be manufactured from different materials such as all ceramic, metals, PFM (porcelain fused to metal), PFZ (porcelain fused to zirconia), and Zirconia.
In dentistry today, the metals that are commonly used to make dental crowns include base-metal alloys such as chromium or nickel, gold, or other alloys such as palladium. Furthermore, the PFM (all metal) crowns are better for the back teeth than those made from ceramic because they are much stronger. Both the ceramic and PFM crowns are colored just like natural teeth so they look normal.
When it comes to crowns, no two individuals are alike. The type that is best for you may not be the right choice for the next patient. The type that is best for you will be determined by the way in which your teeth meet, or occlusion, when biting down; as well as whether you grind your teeth. These issues are all factored in when creating the ideal dental crowns for Perfect Hollywood Smile patients.
While most crowns are made to last a lifetime, they may occasionally fall out or loosen up. We will be happy to correct these situations if necessary. However, the best way to enhance the longevity of these prosthetics is by practicing good dental hygiene habits at home, and visiting our dentists twice a year. For more information regarding crowns or any of our other dental services, or to schedule an appointment, call Perfect Hollywood Smile today.