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Dental Factfiles

Crowns

Chipped or fractured teeth, broken down fillings, or teeth that are malformed or discoloured are all conditions which can affect your smile. A crown is a cap that is used in order to help restore or hold together a tooth that has been chipped or damaged.

Crowns can also cover a large filling to help keep it in place, and they can protect a tooth recovering from root canal treatment. Multiple crowns are also used to hold a bridge in place. Their purpose is to restore each tooth to its normal shape and size, while both strengthening and improving its appearance.

A crown is recommended for a number of reasons:

• To restore fractured teeth
• To protect weak teeth from fracturing
• To repair a tooth when there is not enough original tooth remaining
• To conceal badly shaped or discoloured teeth
• To protect teeth from fracturing following root canal treatment
• To disguise extensive damage caused by decay
• To attach a bridge
• To cover a dental implant.

Natural looking porcelain attached to a durable metal shell is the most common construction used to create a crown because of its strength. However, a crown can also be made of gold alloys or non-precious alloys, ceramic, acrylic (plastic) or composite resin, or any combination of these.

Tooth location, the position of the gum tissue, the amount of tooth that shows in the smile, the colour and shade of the tooth, and the function of the tooth are all taken into consideration when choosing which material to use.

Having a crown fitted may require two or three dental visits. At the first appointment, the tooth to be crowned will be numbed and reduced in size to accommodate the crown, and then a mould of your tooth will be taken for the laboratory to use in the manufacture of the crown. A temporary crown will be placed over the tooth until the custom (final) crown is available.

Crowns are permanent fixtures, but they can occasionally come loose and need to be replaced. Caring for a crown requires proper dental and gum care as instructed by a dentist or hygienist.

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