Tips In Selecting Dental Crowns

In replacing dental crowns, you have to decide what material you want used. There are the metal crowns, the porcelain crowns, and, all-resin crowns, and ceramic crowns. Besides the type of crown, there are few considerations you need to make before picking one material.

A dental crown is cap that resembles the tooth, and which covers it to restore its shape, size, strength and to improve your tooth appearance. The crown, when it is completely cemented onto the tooth, encases its overall portion, including the areas that lie around and above the gum line.

A crown is needed to restore a severely worn down or broken tooth. If your tooth has been weakened by decay, you will also need a crown. People who want to cover and support a tooth with a large filling, want to cover dental implant, want to hold dental bridge in place or cover severely discolored teeth may need dental crowns.

Metal crowns use metals such as gold alloy. They also use other alloys like palladium, and a base-metal alloy like nickel and chromium. To use this type of crown, less tooth structure needs to be removed. Tooth wearing to the opposite teeth must be kept to a minimum.

Metal crowns are known for their strength, especially when chewing and biting forces are strong; they do not easily chip or break. Because of the color, gold crowns are best used for interior molars. The color of porcelain crowns can be customized to match the color of your existing teeth.


In order to use this, more tooth needs to be removed. Although they are also strong, porcelain dental crowns can be chipped or broken down over time. There are circumstances when the metal that underlies the porcelain can be shown as a dark line as your gum recedes. They are the best option for front teeth.

All-resin crowns are cheaper than all other types. Nonetheless, they easily wear down over time. They also expose your teeth to fractures. Ceramic crowns provide the best natural color match. If you have metal allergies, ceramic crowns are the best option. They are also ideal for front teeth.

Before a crown is replaced, your dentist needs to take an X-ray to check on your bone and roots of your tooth that needs the crown. If your tooth has an extensive decay or may infect its pulp, root canal treatment is necessary.

Your tooth is then prepared. It involves removing the decayed portion. If too much of your tooth is removed, your dentist will use filling material to build up the tooth to support the dental crowns.

Impression paste is used to make an impression on the tooth after reshaping it. The impressions below and above the tooth are necessary to receive the crown, and to ensure that the crown will not affect your bite.

The impressions become the guide in preparing for your crown. The choice of color is your dentist’s duty. Dental crowns normally take two weeks to prepare. Hence, a temporary crown is placed on your prepared tooth.

Temporary crowns are made of acrylic and held in place with temporary cement. Your dental crowns should be ready during your second visit to the dentist. Local anesthetic may be required to numb the tooth while the permanent crown is being cemented.