Dental Crowns
Lots of people hear about dental crowns when having a surgery, a treatment, or even read this term in articles and papers.
So what is a dental crown?
What is the purpose of dental crown? Why is it needed? How many types of it?
All of these questions will be answered in this article.
The dental crown is basically a tooth shaped cap that is placed on the head of the tooth to cover it. This is to restore the tooth’s shape, size, strength, and to make its appearance more beautiful and original.
When the dental crown is placed on the tooth it actually covers the entire visible part of the tooth all the way to the gums.
Great, So when is a dental crown needed?
There are several situations that require a dental crown procedure. Here are some of them:
- in some cases a broken tooth may need a dental crown to restore its appearance and strength especially when it’s severely damaged.
- sometimes dental crowns can be used to protect the teeth from any damage (protection usage)
- when there isn’t a lot of the tooth left, dental crowns can be placed to support the tooth with filling.
- when a dental bridge is placed the dental team or the dentist usually use dental crowns to hold the bridge, this usage is considered one of the most common usages of dental crowns.
- to cover discoloured teeth.
- dental crowns also used in some cosmetic treatments and surgeries.
- Dental crowns can also be used and placed for children teeth ((baby teeth)) for several reasons, here are the most common ones:
- to protect the teeth from decay, especially for those who cannot keep on brushing their teeth on a daily basis.
- to cover and save what is left from a tooth that has been damaged by decay and can’t be filled anymore.
- in some cases, some children may need a dental crown to decrease the anesthesia because some children may have a special medical history. This is only controlled by the dental team or your dentist. Thus, you should consult them before.
How many types of dental crowns are available?
Well, there are a lot of dental crown types and here are some of them:
- Stainless steel dental crowns: these crowns are prefabricated and used on permanent teeth but primarily as temporary measures. This type of crowns is used to protect the tooth, the permanent crown is made of another material. While for children, the stainless steel crowns are used to be placed on the primary tooth and the crown covers the entire tooth all the way down to the gums to protect the tooth from decay. When the primary tooth comes out naturally, the crown comes out with it.
The stainless steel crowns are usually used for children more than adults since they don’t need many dental visits to put in place, thus they cost less than other types of dental crowns.
- Metal Dental Crowns: these crowns are more likely to last for a long time and rarely break. In addition, metal crowns help with chewing and biting this is why they are considered to be among the most favorite types for adults who have weak teeth. Metals used in these crowns contain alloys that have platinum or gold, or base-metal alloys like cobalt or nickel chromium alloys. Still, because of the metal colour it is more preferred to be used for unseen teeth and because of the expensive metals used in it such as gold, metal crowns are more expensive than other types of crowns.
- Porcelain Fused To Metal Dental Crowns: this type of crowns can be color matched to the tooth real color but because of the ceramic material used in it, porcelain crowns can be easily broken or damaged compared to metal crowns or resin crowns and the metal underlying the porcelain layer can be seen in dark sometimes, especially at the gums’ lines.
The porcelain fused to dental crowns are a good option for front teeth and for long bridges because the metal is needed for strength. It is also important to know that this type of crowns needs a professional dentist to apply it for you.
- Resin dental crowns: this type of crowns is not expensive at all. However, it doesn’t last for a long time and its colour may change after a while.
What is the difference between temporary and permanent dental crowns?
Temporary dental crowns can be made at the dentist’s clinic or office and usually used to protect the tooth while the permanent one is made and the temporary crowns are made of acrylic based materials or stainless steel. While permanent crowns need a dental lap to be made.
What is the most popular location to prefer for dental crowns?
The answer is simple. Istanbul is the most popular location preferred by millions of visitors every year for dental treatments. With Istanbul’s unique location and global medical standarts, dental patients are experiencing very comfortable and high-quality dental treatment journey in Istanbul.