Dental crowns

Pros

• In heavily decayed or damaged teeth, a crown restores the tooth to its former shape, while holding the remaining tooth together.
• Dental crowns also protect teeth from being worn away further, in the case of grinding.
• Dental crowns provide a solid biting surface and hold the tooth together, and so are not as prone to fracture as fillings may be.
• Dental crowns also protect root canaled teeth, preventing reinfection of the canals by bacteria.
• Crowning teeth that are at a high risk of cracking, such as heavily filled or root canaled teeth, helps to hold the tooth together, significantly reducing the risk of cracking.
• Acts like teeth whitening. Dental crowns can also improve both the colour and shape of your teeth, especially if the existing tooth had a lot of fillings or was discoloured.
• A crown is long-lasting with a typical lifespan between 15-20 years, depending on the material used.

Cons

• Dental crowns can break or fall off due to general wear and tear, a lack of patient care, or time factors. 
• Sometimes there will be tooth decay under the crown that causes the crown to deteriorate. 
• You might have a loose crown because the cement does not hold or has washed out.
• There might be sensitivity of discomfort after a dental crown procedure. 
• You may accidentally chip your crown.
• As the crown acts as a cap for your tooth, dental crowns cannot be used to replace missing teeth.

Temporary crown

A temporary dental crown is used to protect a tooth that is waiting for a permanent crown to be made.

Permanent crowns

A permanent crown is the final crown that is cemented to a natural tooth. They have been crafted from a digital scan, using CADCAM to mimic natural tooth structure.

Metal crown or gold crown

Metal crowns or gold crowns are not commonly used. When they are, they are used for molars due to their colour. They provide conservation for the tooth structure as less preparation is needed, but they can wear through over time.

Ceramic crown or porcelain crowns

All ceramic crowns can be colour-matched to offer a natural appearance that makes them ideal for your front teeth. They are one of the most popular types of crowns and are generally affordable.

Porcelain fused to metal crowns

A porcelain fused to metal crown can be colour-matched to your natural teeth making them ideal to cap any teeth that can be seen easily, such as your front teeth. However, the porcelain is susceptible to chipping and breaking and surrounding teeth may become slightly worn thanks to this material.

Resin crowns

These crowns are the most affordable option. However, a composite resin crown wears down faster over time and is more likely to crack or fracture than other materials used for dental crowns.

How to care for permanent crowns:

• Treat your crown like it is a part of your normal teeth. Brush your teeth twice a day ensuring that you clean both the crown and the surrounding teeth well. 
• Floss daily around the crown area and gum line.
• If you manage to break your crown or if you notice a chipped crown, contact your dentist immediately to ensure the oral health of the underlying tooth is not jeopardised.

How to care for temporary crowns:

• Avoid hard foods that could break your dental crown. 
• Avoid sticky foods that require a lot of chewing and may have the potential to pull the crown from the underlying tooth. 
• Be careful of how you use your dental floss. Ensure that you slide the floss to make sure that you don’t accidentally pull the crown off. 
• Whenever possible, chew on the other side of your mouth to limit the pressure that your temporary dental crown is experiencing.
• Contact your dentist if the crown becomes loose, breaks, or falls out completely.