Dental Crown Restoration in Redmond, WA
Crowns, or caps, are restorations that cover the entire tooth and are cemented. They are used in situations where a large filling would quickly fail and/or to prevent a tooth from splitting. This usually occurs when teeth are cracked, had a root canal, or have been heavily damaged from decay or trauma.
The procedure involves removing the outer part of the tooth and then sending an impression of the area to a laboratory. After a couple of weeks, the custom made crown is checked for accuracy and then cemented to the tooth. During the lab time, the tooth is fitted with a temporary crown.
Types of Crowns
Types of crowns and their properties:
Gold crowns
- Mostly made of gold with other metals for strength.
- Typically last the longest because they cannot break.
- They are gold colored.
- May be more expensive due to the cost of gold.
- Compared to other crowns, they require less tooth removal.
- They are softer than tooth structure (they will not wear down the tooth it chews against).
Porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns (PFM)
- Has a gold/metal core with porcelain baked to the outside.
- The color can be matched to the surrounding teeth.
- Porcelain is harder than natural tooth structure (the tooth it chews against is more prone to wear).
- Although relatively infrequent, the porcelain can fracture off of the metal base. Large breaks may require replacement of the crown.
- Requires more tooth removal than other crowns.
- Sometimes results in a dark line when the gums have receded.
All porcelain crowns
- No metal at all, they are ceramic.
- Looks the most like natural tooth.
- Does not have a dark line when the gums recede.
- Requires less tooth removal than a PFM.
- Although newer materials are promising, they are still prone to fracturing. Because of this, they may not be a good option on load bearing back teeth or in people who grind.
- These crowns can be bonded to the tooth and may be a good option when little tooth structure is remaining.