Some porcelain crowns are now claimed to be "unbreakable."

The process of having a crown made takes 2 visits to the dentist. On the first visit the tooth will be reshaped so that the crown can be placed over it. You will be given a local anesthetic before this part of the procedure so that you do not experience any discomfort. Once the tooth has been reshaped, an impression will be taken of that tooth and the surrounding teeth. This will be sent to a dental lab so that your new crown can be made so that it fits in the spot created for it and looks the same relative to the surrounding teeth. Then we will place a temporary crown until your permanent crown is ready.

The crown takes about 2 weeks to be returned to your dentist. At this time you will have another appointment to place and adjust the permanent crown.  When you look in the mirror, you will see your improved or old smile back. Crowns are durable and will usually last about 15 to 60 years. You should care for it as you would any of your other teeth with regular brushing and flossing. Call us today if you would like to learn more about how crowns can help restore your smile.

Types of Crowns 

Gold crowns:

I recommend gold crowns when they will not be obvious when a patient talks or smiles. They will never break and the wear rate is essentially the same rate as enamel. A well made gold crown can serve for 20 to 70 years. The cost of gold has made the cost nearly prohibitive.  

Porcelain crowns:

Porcelain veneer crowns are made with a thin metal cast crown that fits the prepared tooth precisely and the porcelain is then bonded (baked) to the metal. These crowns can be very cosmetic but the porcelain can still break. When the porcelain breaks the cast metal core stills protects the tooth.

The patient makes the final decision as to the type of crown made. Most patients choose the all porcelain or porcelain veneer crown  because they want to match the color of their natural teeth.

Metal free crowns:

All porcelain crowns, porcelain veneers, and bonding are cosmetic in nature. Dental porcelain is continually improving and will someday be the most common type of restoration provided.

Disadvantages of all porcelain crowns:

1. Porcelain crowns can and do break, just like anything made of porcelain from toilets to dishes. There are millions of chipped or broken porcelain crowns in people’s mouths. Just because they are chipped does not always mean that they must be replaced, however if they are chipped in between the teeth they may create a food trap that requires flossing after each meal.

2. Porcelain crowns do not wear. They wear whatever they oppose and work against. If a porcelain crown on an upper tooth opposes a natural tooth on the lower, the natural tooth will wear down since porcelain essentially does not wear and enamel does. Nightguards can and do help prevent this.

Some special types of porcelain crowns are now claimed to be unbreakable.