Restore your smile
Dental Crown
A dental crown (“cap”) is a tooth-shaped dental restoration that is used for capping or completely encasing a single damaged tooth or dental implant. Also called “dental caps” and “porcelain jackets”, they can be made from various materials and are permanently bonded to their foundation with dental cement, avoiding the need for tooth extraction, bridges, partials, or dentures. They cannot be used for full-mouth restoration.
Why are Teeth Capped?
They are commonly used to: Protect a tooth that is weak from wear and tear and/or decay from further damage; hold a fractured or broken tooth together; cover a large filling that involves half of the tooth or more; support a dental bridge; restore a tooth after a root canal procedure to prevent fracturing; hide severely discolored or misshapen teeth when veneers cannot; cap off and complete a dental implant procedure; relieve the pain experienced as a result of cracked tooth syndrome;
Types of Dental Crowns
Permanent crowns can be made from stainless steel, all metal (such as gold or another alloy), porcelain-fused-to-metal, all resin, or all ceramic.
1. Stainless steel
Prefabricated crowns are used on permanent teeth primarily as a temporary measure, to protect the tooth or filling. These crowns mostly are used for children’s teeth because they don’t require multiple dental visits to put in place and so are more cost-effective than custom-made crowns and prophylactic dental care needed to protect a tooth without a dental crown.
2. Metals
Crowns include gold alloy, other alloys (for example, palladium), or a base-metal alloy (for example, nickel or chromium). Metal crowns withstand biting and chewing forces well and probably last the longest in terms of wear down. Also, metal crowns rarely chip or break. The metallic color is the main drawback. Metal crowns are a good choice for out-of-sight molars.
3. Porcelain-fused-to-metal dental crowns
This type of crown can be color-matched to your adjacent teeth (unlike metallic crowns). The crown’s porcelain portion can also chip or break off. Next to all-ceramic crowns, this type looks 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.
4. All-resin dental crowns
Today there is usually a better choice for tooth restoration than a resin crown. Their main advantage is the lower price, however, if you can afford it, it’s usually better for a porcelain crown.
All resin crowns are comparatively less expensive but they undergo wear and tear with time and are vulnerable to fractures. They are constructed from composite material which is similar to the one used for normal color fillings in the mouth. They are the most natural-looking crowns as compared to others.
These are best suitable for restoring front teeth. They also do not wear down the tooth opposing them.
5. All-ceramic or all-porcelain dental crowns
This crown type provides a better natural color match than any other crown type and is more suitable for people with metal allergies. 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 good choice for front teeth.
In our clinic of Lara Smile, we prefer the best quality Porcelain Crown with Zirconium and Emax Crowns.
Porcelain Crown with Zirconium
Zirconium porcelain crowns are highly durable, excessively tough, and aesthetically pleasing. This product is composed of a permanent White metal with porcelain covered to the outside, creating the natural look of a tooth.
In some cases, it is preferred to use 100 % zirconium for creating crowns without the need for porcelain. The positive side of this type of crown is that you will never see a black line should your gums recede in time. You will see always the crown appear white at the gum line.
When the crown is made up of %100 white materials, the teeth have much better transparency. Because of free from nickel, zirconium porcelain crowns are always healthy if you compared them to metal porcelain.
When you smile, there will be a more aesthetic and pleasing look and in this conclusion, it is recommended to use zirconium porcelain crowns in your treatment for your front teeth or the number of teeth shown along your smile line. We use only the best materials that are provided from all around the world.
E-max Crowns
Long lasting, highly aesthetical, more popular, and expensive. These are the main properties of an Emax crown, which make them one of the best choices to restore your front tooth. Emax has already 100 million plus restorations globally.
Emax is an all-ceramic system that is based on Lithium disilicate glass and consists of quartz, lithium dioxide, phosphoroxide, alumina, potassium oxide, and trace elements. Emax-based all-ceramic prostheses are rapidly gaining widespread popularity in cosmetic dentistry due to their excellent esthetics, durability, and strength. The Emax system is mainly indicated for the fabrication of crowns and dental veneers in the anterior region. The Emax system is most suitable for the dental crowns and veneers of your front teeth. Emax is also the ideal choice for the short-span bridges for your anterior/front teeth.
The Emax all-ceramic offers a cosmetic solution for the correction of the following esthetic defects:
- Stained Teeth – say goodbye to your stained teeth with the Emax crowns and veneers. These all-porcelain prostheses are highly translucent and possess excellent fracture and chipping resistance.
- Crooked Teeth – Emax crowns can also be used to restore the structure and shape of crooked teeth, especially in the anterior region.
- Root Canal Treated Teeth – Teeth on which a root canal procedure has been performed, tend to become brittle and fragile.
- Emax crowns offer an excellent blend of esthetics as well as strength for restoring such teeth.
Fractured Teeth – teeth that get fractured either due to extensive cavities or trauma, can also be restored with Emax crowns.
How are Emax Crowns Prepared?
- Emax crowns can be quickly and conveniently prepared inside the dental office. Your dentist will first prepare your teeth by removing a thin layer of the natural tooth structure.
- Next, a digital impression of your teeth will be made with the help of an intraoral camera. You don’t need a messy impression with a paste here. This impression is then transmitted to the computer that controls the milling procedure.
- Your dentist matches the shade of the crown with your natural teeth.
- Finally, the milling machine cuts the monolithic block of Lithium disilicate to produce the required shape of the prosthesis. That is why we call it a monolithic crown. As the crown is made out of a single block, it stands really strong.
- Then, your dentist adjusts the crown to your tooth, makes any fine adjustments if needed, and glues it onto your tooth.
This means you get a crown on the same appointment. No waiting period, no multiple appointments, and no need for a temporary crown.
Benefits of the Emax System:
Emax system-based prostheses possess several advantages, which make them ideal for the fabrication of fixed prostheses in the anterior region:
- Best Match to your Natural Teeth – an important esthetic requirement for all-ceramic prostheses is that they should possess sufficient translucency that matches your natural teeth. Emax crowns possess an ideal blend of translucency and lifelike appearance, that makes them suitable for the restoration of front teeth. They are more translucent than zirconia crowns.
- All-ceramic Prostheses – Emax-based prostheses do not contain any metal alloy beneath the porcelain. This means that an unsightly grey line of the underlying metal will not be visible at the gum lines, and the crowns will look just like your natural teeth.
- Durability – Emax crowns are prepared from lithium disilicate, which is a glass ceramic and possesses excellent strength. Thus, Emax crowns are less likely to crack or fracture during clinical usage. They are less likely to chip when compared to zirconia crowns.
- Ability to be Milled – another benefit of Emax crowns is that they can be quickly fabricated by using CAD CAM milling. Emax crowns are prepared from a high-quality monolithic block of Lithium disilicate. All the dentist needs to do, is to prepare the teeth, make a digital impression and feed It into the CAD-CAM machine software, and voila- Emax crowns are ready for cementation.
- Conservation of Tooth Structure – since Emax crowns possess excellent strength and fracture resistance, these crowns can be prepared in very thin sections. This not only ensures optimal esthetics but also requires minimal removal of natural tooth structure during preparation. The more tooth structure you have, the better your oral health. When you have more tooth structure, your tooth stands stronger.
- Multiple Options for Teeth Restoration – the best thing about the Emax system is that it is not limited to all-ceramic crowns only. Rather, this system can also be used to fabricate veneers, inlays, onlays, overlays, and even short-span bridges to replace front teeth.
Dental Crown Procedure
First Visit – Consultation
During the first visit, the dentist will examine the tooth and its root to determine whether or not a crown is a suitable method of restoration and if additional procedures will be required to make it a success. For example, a tooth with a compromised root can cause an infection or injure the tooth’s pulp, in which case a root canal might be necessary.
The examination may involve analyzing X-rays and impressions of the patient’s bite. Depending on the severity or nature of the situation, the dentist may refer the patient to a specialist such as a periodontist, oral surgeon, or orthodontist for further examination. Once it has been decided that capping a tooth is the best option, the dentist will proceed with the preparation.
Preparation
The procedure begins by numbing the tooth with local anesthesia, followed by preparing the tooth so that it can support the dental crown. This includes reshaping the tooth by either filing down the enamel or applying a filling to build it up if it is too damaged or decayed.
The amount removed or added depends on the type that will be used. A dental impression is taken and sent to a lab that uses it to design and manufacture it. An impression of the surrounding teeth is also taken to ensure that it perfectly integrates with your bite. A temporary crown made of acrylic is placed to protect the tooth until you return. It typically takes 2-3 weeks for it to be fabricated.
Temporary Care
Between visits, it is important to take care of the temporary cap in order to protect the prep work performed underneath it. The design of the permanent crown is based on the size, shape, and condition of the tooth before the temporary crown is placed, so it is important to take a few precautions. This includes avoiding sticky, chewy, or hard foods that may dislodge the temporary crown, pulling the floss out rather than up during cleaning to avoid pulling the crown off, and chewing on the opposite side of the mouth.
Second Visit
During the second visit, the dentist will remove the temporary cap and a local anesthetic may or may not be administered. After removal, the dentist will check the fit and color before permanently cementing it in place. This is done with precision, as any gaps between the crown and the tooth can allow bacteria to grow, causing further decay and increasing the likelihood of a fracture.
The process may take more than 2 visits or require longer sessions if your situation requires special procedures such as a root canal, orthodontic treatment, or gum treatment.
Recovery and Post-Procedure Care
The recovery period after a dental crown procedure typically lasts for a few days, as the body recovers from the irritation and inflammation associated with the procedure. It is normal for patients to experience some sensitivity, discomfort, or pain initially, which should subside after the first few days.