A dental crown or sometimes called a cap is a prosthetic restoration which completely covers or encircles a tooth or a dental implant. A dental crown offers protection to the tooth surface underneath its structure.
Why might I need a crown?
A crown is usually placed on a tooth that has previously had a filling or other restoration such as a veneer. There are many reasons that your dentist may decide to place a crown the most common reasons are
• The tooths structure is more filling than tooth
• The tooth has previously had root canal treatment.
• A tooth is badly decayed and after removing the decay there would not be enough tooth structure to place and hold a filling.
• The tooth has a large or suspected deep crack.
Can I not just have a filling and see if it works?
Our dentists will always do the least invasive option possible without jeopardising the long-term prognosis of the tooth. When a filling is generally (there are exceptions!) more than 2/3 of the tooth it puts a lot of pressure on the whole tooth structure and the filling is unlikely to last very long. The major concern with this is that with all of that pressure the tooth could break and then be irreparable – leading to an extraction.
If a tooth has previously been root treated for whatever reason it then becomes more brittle. The recommendation here is generally to place a filling after being root treated, then wait for several months to confirm the root treatment has been successful and then place a crown.
Why is it more expensive than a filling?
A filling is placed using a composite material in one appointment by the dentist. A dental crown requires much more attention than a filling resulting in a longer appointment for the preparation work, an additional appointment for the crown fitting and the additional cost of a dental technician and crown.
• extensive preparation work on the tooth structure
• impressions
• making of a temporary crown
• a dental technician to construct your work in a laboratory
• an appointment to remove the temporary crown, place the permanent crown and make any necessary adjustments
Hopefully, that’s answered any questions you might have and concerning why you might need a dental crown.
If you do have any questions in regards to your treatment than your dental team will be more than happy to answer any questions you have.