EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DENTAL CROWNS

Dental crowns restore the appearance and functionality of chipped or partially damaged teeth. Dentists usually recommend dental crowns when dental fillings cannot treat cracked or broken teeth. Dental crowns are composed of ceramics, resins, porcelain, or metal.

The dental crowns are placed over the damaged or decayed teeth; they are tooth-shaped caps and do not affect your dental aesthetics as they look just like natural teeth. There are various benefits of dental crowns, including:

• The crowns dental are placed in a simple procedure and are non-invasive.
• Dental crowns outlast many other dental procedures.
• Restore your smile and, eventually, your appearance.
• They look just like your natural teeth.
• Dental crowns procedure is a restorative treatment and is usually painless. 
• Dental crowns aid in holding the dental bridges in place.

People with severely damaged or worn-out teeth should consider dental crowns, as they can last for more than 15 years with proper care. The dental crowns also restore the alignment, colour, and chewing abilities of the wearer’s teeth.

The dental crown treatment procedure usually requires two appointments to complete. In the first appointment, dentists take the impression of your teeth and prepare your teeth for the crown placement process by shaping your teeth. In the next appointment, the dentists place and fit the dental crowns.

1. Firstly, the dentist undergoes a series of digital X-rays to access your oral health. In this process, they determine whether you need root canal treatment or not. Dentists also shape and mould your teeth to make room for crown placement.
2. After that, the dentist removes the outlet layer of your teeth by trimming them and takes an impression. The dentists place a temporary crown over the trimmed teeth to protect them.
3. Then the dentists send the impressions to the lab to make the crowns according to your teeth’ shape and colour.
4. The dentists end this procedure by placing or cementing the crown over your teeth. After getting crowns, patients may take a few weeks to get used to them.

Dental crowns are generally of four types, and the dentist recommends the most appropriate type to their patients depending on their oral conditions and preferences.

Gold crowns are a combination of nickel, chromium, and copper. Gold crowns are durable, highly resistant, long-lasting, and can withstand hard chewing forces.

However, they do not blend with your natural teeth because of being golden in colour, and people usually prefer them in the posterior or back teeth where they are least visible. Moreover, in the placement of gold crowns, less proportion of your enamel is removed. 

The porcelain crowns are the most natural-looking and are the most popular ones. These crowns completely comprise porcelain material and effectively blend with your original teeth. The porcelain crowns are metal-free, which is why they are completely biocompatible and non-toxic.

Nowadays, zirconia crowns are in high demand because they meet your dental aesthetics. The placement of these crowns requires less time and can be shaped in the dental office. Usually, dentists do not send your dental impressions to the lab for manufacturing these crowns.

The stainless steel dental crowns usually restore children’s teeth who have undergone pulp therapy. These crowns don’t last long and are lost with their primary teeth. The stainless steel dental crowns can also be used as temporary crowns during the dental crowns treatment process until they are replaced with permanent crowns.

The dental crown costs are relatively lower than other dental procedures costing around $500 to $3000 per tooth. However, these charges fluctuate depending on your region and the type of dental crowns you have opted for. 

The costs of porcelain crowns are between $800 to $3000, and the costs of porcelain fused to metal crowns can vary between $800 to $1400 per tooth, and the approximate costs of gold crowns are generally between $800 to $2500.

Dental crown placement is a very simple and painless procedure. The patients feel no pain during this process because they are usually sedated with anaesthesia. 

However, after getting the dental crowns procedure done, the patients usually feel minor difficulties in chewing or slight pain in the affected tooth areas, but these are temporary side effects that usually go on their own or with painkillers.

Generally, the dental crown placement procedure does not require root canal treatment. However, in some cases, when the teeth are severely damaged and beyond repair, the dentists might recommend a root canal treatment to restore the teeth’ functionality.

The dental crowns and caps have no significant difference, and dentists use both terms. In the past, the term “dental caps” was more common, but now people usually say the word “dental crowns”.

Dentists usually recommend dental crowns in the posterior teeth to their patients, but you can also get them placed in the anterior or front teeth to restore your decayed teeth. The crowns can last more than 15 years, whether they are placed on anterior or posterior teeth if people take proper care of them and maintain good oral hygiene.