Crowns are used to repair various types of damage in individual teeth. A damaged tooth is replaced by a durable, functional tooth that supports the occlusion and looks natural.
Crowns are particularly well-suited for replacing teeth that have been damaged by multiple cavities or have multiple fillings. Once the cavities become too severe, the structure of the tooth is weakened and can no longer be repaired with fillings. Teeth with this degree of damage can be replaced with a crown. Crowns are durable, look just like real teeth and restore your mouth to full function.
In addition to cavities, crowns can be used to fix teeth with discolouration or misalignment, thus improving the appearance of the tooth. Your dentist makes an impression of your tooth and the impression is used to prepare a specially moulded crown. The original damaged tooth is drilled down to a small base onto which the crown is attached. The crown is designed so that it matches your other teeth, functions normally and meets your expectations.
Attaching a crown
As explained above, a dental crown can be used to repair or replace the part of a single tooth that’s visible above the gum line. It is permanently attached to the original tooth to the natural root or an artificial root, also called an implant. Attaching the tooth to the natural root requires the root to be healthy.
Crowns are usually made out of a ceramic material and look and feel like a real tooth. A ceramic crown is durable, supports the tooth and protects it against chipping. A ceramic crown cannot develop cavities.
Cleaning a crown
Unlike natural teeth, a crown is resistant to damage caused by the bacteria in the mouth. Nevertheless, you should take equally good care of your natural teeth and your crowns, especially when it comes to the gums. The gum line between a crown and your natural tooth may also develop cavities or inflammation. That is why we recommend brushing your teeth and cleaning your gum lines every day.
Crowns and bridges are some of the most common dental repairs. Bridges are used to replace one or more missing teeth.
