Austin dentist, Dentist in Austin, TX

Crowns

As we get a little older, our teeth begin to change and are prone to decay. There are many possible reasons for this change in your smile. These reasons can include bruxism(teeth grinding), general decay, cracked fillings, root canals, and many others. If your tooth is beyond repair with a filling material, we may recommend that the best viable option to save the tooth is a full crown. The reasons for this type of restoration in a badly damaged tooth are durability, cosmetic appearance, and overall support of the chewing function.

Procedure

When you have decided to go ahead with a full crown restoration, it will be 2-3 appointments for the entire process. Although the majority of crowns are completed in two visits, there is sometimes a need for a third visit to ensure a proper fit.

The procedure begins with shaping the tooth. Once the tooth is shaped, we will take an impression of the tooth. This impression will be sent to our lab where your crown will be crafted. While the crown is being created, we will provide you with a temporary crown. Our temporary crowns will resemble your natural teeth so that you can continue with your daily life without worrying about a missing or incompatible tooth.

During your second visit to the office, we will proceed with the placement of your crown. This crown will be fitted comfortably into the mouth. We will make every effort to ensure that the new tooth feels exactly like one of your natural teeth. The final step in the process is to cement the crown into your mouth, leaving you with a beautifully restored 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.

Porcelain crowns:

Porcelain veneer crowns are made with a thin metal cast crown to fit 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. Many patients choose the all porcelain or porcelain veneer crown over the gold because they want to match the color of their natural teeth.

Metal free crowns:

All porcelain crowns and porcelain veneers are cosmetic in nature. Dental porcelain is continually improving and will someday be the most common type of restoration provided. That time is not here at this point as most porcelain crowns have some distinct disadvantages.

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.

The shortest lasting porcelain crown I have ever made lasted only one night. The patient was (and is) a bruxer (he grinds his teeth at night). We replaced the crown at no charge. But for his new crown we created a metal surface so the porcelain portion could not be contacted by the opposing tooth. The problem was solved.