Crowns

Crowns are a type of dental restoration which, when cemented into place, fully cover the portion of a tooth that lies at and above the gum line.  In comparison, fillings are dental restoration that fill or cover just portion of a tooth.  Since dental crowns cover the entire visible aspect of a tooth, a dental crown becomes the tooth’s new outer surface.
A tooth may require a crown if it has been treated with a root canal to prevent fracture.  Large old and cracked fillings or severely decay tooth may also require crown coverage for better long term prognosis and chewing function.

Types of Crowns:

There are many different type of crowns.  These include:

  • Full porcelain crown
  • Full ceramic crown
  • Full Metal crown (non-precious metal)
  • Full Gold crown
  • Porcelain fused to metal crown (has two shells, an outer shell made out of tooth color porcelain and  inner shell or coping made out of various types of non-precious metal, semi-preciousmetal, and precious metal such as gold for high biocompatibility and adaptability)
  • Captek crown (an porcelain outer shell and a inner shell metal coping with more than 90% gold content
  • 3G Zirconium crown (outer shell made out of zirconium and an inner aluminum inner shell or coping.
  • Lava crown ( an outer zirconium shell and an inner Zirconium shell coping which is precisely milled at 3M Milling center under a computer scan of your tooth’s impression for an accurate fit)

Procedure
This is usually a 2 visits procedure. 

During the first visit:

  • You will be anesthetized with a local dental anesthetic.
  • Your tooth will be clean free of all decay and stain under the assisting of a Microscope as deem necessary. 
  • Your tooth is prepared smaller to make room for the fabrication of the covering crown surface outside. Usually 1 mm-1.5mm is removed from your tooth structure.
  • An impression is taken of your prepared tooth.
  • A matching color of your existing teeth is record for shade matching.

During a second visit:

  • We will try in your crown and inspect it under the Microscope as deem necessary.
  • An X-ray, Fit Checker paste, and dental explorer will be utilized to confirm the precise fit and seal of your crown.
  • Your crown is cemented or bonded with cement on your tooth, leaving you with a beautiful restored smile.