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What are dental crowns ?
Dental crowns or caps as they are commonly known , are restorations that protect damaged or broken down teeth. A crown also strengthens your existing broken down tooth so that it can function normally. Dental crowns sits over your existing tooth, covering the entire outer surface. |
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Why do I need crowns ?
1) When there is a big decay and there is not enough tooth structure remaining to support a filling
2) If a large portion of the tooth is fractured off and it cannot be filled the traditional way.
3) Following root canal treatment , a crown is often required to strenghten the tooth.
4) In severe grinding cases ,most of the tooth structure is grinded down . Crowning is the only option to protect and restore the tooth.
Are dental crowns the best option to improve my smile?
Crowning should not be the first option for improving your smile as it involves quite a fair bit of tooth preparations. Your first choice should be porcelain veneers as they are very much less invasive .
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Why do I need crowns ?
1) If a large proportion of the tooth is fractured off.
2) root canal treated teeth often requires crowning to strengthen the existing tooth structure.
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3) If a large proportion of the tooth is damaged due to tooth decay or large fillings crowning will strengthen the existing tooth structure. |
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4) Teeth grinder: For patients who grinds their teeth , the protective enamel is grounded off leaving the soft dentine unprotected. Once the dentine is expose, the teeth can be rapidly grinded to a very short stump, as seen by the picture on the left. Dental crowns is the only way to restore and protect the teeth.
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Types of crowns
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1) Porcelain bonded to metal crowns
Metal crowns with porcelain bonded to them, were introduced to the dental profession in the 1970S. While it serves the purpose of protecting and strengthening the tooth, it compromises on the aesthetic effect by revealing a metal line where the crown meets the gum. Moreover, as the metal oxidises over time, the dark margins become increasingly unsightly.
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The temporary veneers are removed and the final veneers are try in for fit and aesthetics |
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How long do crowns last ?
With good oral hygiene and regular dental checkup, a well made crown should last 10-15 years. Avoid traumatic biting for example on ice, bone etc.
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Will I get a black line in the gum area of the crown ?
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Porcelain Bonded to Metal Crowns
This type of crowns have been in service since the 1970s . While the metal backing gives the crown inherent strength, the disadvantage is the black metal line showing.
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Full Porcelain Cercon Crowns.
This is the latest type of crowns. The metal backing is replaced with a zirconia framework. The zirconia which is a very strong ceramic ,is tooth coloured. As a result, the crown margin is almost not noticeable to the naked eye . The aesthetics of full porcelain Cercon Crowns is vastly superior.
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Why is my crown so ugly ?
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1) Tooth preparation
Crown preparation is like an artist crafting a piece of wood.
Inadequate preparation will result in the final porcelain layer of the crown being too thin. Porcelain requires a certain thickness to look translucent and natural. Thin porcelain on the other hand will make the crown look opaque and dull looking. A skillful cosmetic dentist will also hide the crown margins into the gum so that it is not visible.
2) Materials used to make the crown.
Porcelain bonded to metal crowns tends to look opaque as light cannot pass through. On the other hand newer full porcelain crowns are allow light to pass and reflected back , as a result the crowns look more translucent and like natural teeth.
3) Skills of the dental technician.
The quality of the dental technician skills is also critical . A clear understanding of colours in terms of hue ,chroma and value is important. The ability if the technician to fabricate the porcelain in layers so as simulate the prismatic structure of enamel is important. In other words the skill to build 3 dimensional colour and translucency in porcelain crown is the ultimate test of the dental technician skill.
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Are dental crowns the best option for improving your smile ?
Porcelain veneers or dental veneers, should be the first choice for improving your smile as it is more conservative with less teeth preparation. Crowning is indicated when the existing tooth structure is inadequate or weak. In such cases, crowning is more appropriate as it serves to strenghten and protect the teeth.
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What is the procedure for dental crowning?
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Step 1. The tooth on the left is numbed with local anaesthetic . Next the tooth is clean and all decay portion is removed carefully without exposing the nerve.
Step 2. The tooth defect is repaired with glass ionomer or composites.
Step 3.
The strengthen tooth is then prepared to a tapered shape to allow the final crown to sit on it.
Step 4.
An impression is made of the prepared tooth stump . The impression is then sent to the dental laboratory whereby a custom made crown is made to fit your tooth.
Step 5. In the mean time , your cosmetic dentist will make a temporary crown for your tooth.
Step 6. On your second visit , your cosmetic dentist will remove the temporary crown and fit it with the permanent crown. After ensuring that your are happy with the colour and aesthetics, the crown is permanently cemented onto your tooth.
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How long do crowns last?
With good oral hygiene and regular dental checkup, a well made crown should last 10-15 years. Avoid traumatic biting for example on ice, bone etc .
Are dental crowns the best option for improving your smile ?
Porcelain veneers or dental veneers , should be the first choice for improving your smile as it is more conservative with less teeth preparation. Crowning is indicated when the existing tooth structure is inadequate or weak. In such cases, crowning is more appropriate as it serves to strengthen and protect the teeth
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