Dental crowns are restorations that protect damaged, cracked or broken down teeth. A crown strengthens your existing, damaged tooth so as to preserve its functionality. Dental crowns are also commonly known as caps (because a crown sits over your existing tooth, covering the entire outer surface).
Why might I need crowns?
- If your tooth has undergone significant decay and there is not enough tooth structure remaining to support a filling or an inlay and maintain functionaility.
- If a large portion of your tooth has fractured and it cannot be built up using traditional composite bonding techniques.
- If you have a large cavity and opt for the additional protection a crown offers to your tooth over a large composite filling or an inlay.
- If you have had a dental implant to replace a missing tooth, a crown will be fitted to the abutment of the titanium implant.
- Following root canal treatment, a crown is often needed to strengthen the tooth.
- If you grind your teeth and have a poor diet, acid errosion may reduce your teeth to a point where the only option available is to crown them.
- For cosmetic reasons, to improve the aesthetics of your smile, you may opt for all porcelain cosmetic crowns.