Dental crowns, which people sometimes call crown restorations, replace a portion of your tooth above your gum line. We attach this restorative dental prosthetic to your tooth to repair a damaged or cracked tooth’s appearance. Dental crowns are among the most common restorative dental procedures available at Frisco Dental. Reach out to our team today at 972.335.2201 for more information about how this prosthetic can help you.
What Do Dental Crowns Do?
This treatment is custom-fitted tooth prosthetics that can restore fractured teeth. They improve the shape, size, and appearance of teeth.
The most common instances when our dentists may recommend a crown include:
- Fractured teeth
- Extensive decay that compromises tooth structure
- Root canal treated teeth
- Extremely sensitive teeth
- When esthetic improvements are required
What Do Use to Make This Prosthetic?
Crowns can be made from different types of materials. Permanent dental crowns can be made of metal, porcelain fused to metal, ceramic, or resin. Temporary crowns tend to be made of acrylic or stainless steel.
Porcelain Crowns
Porcelain, or zirconia, crowns are tooth-colored tops that provide both improved aesthetics and enhanced function. Porcelain is also a more robust material. Porcelain requires minimal tooth preparation, hence preserving natural tooth structure. They are usually the restoration of choice when restoring your back teeth that need higher chewing capabilities.
Porcelain Fused to Metal Crowns
A PFM crown has a layer of precious metal underneath the porcelain. They present several disadvantages compared to a zirconia crown. The metal underneath the porcelain shows in the form of unsightly grey lines at the gums, causing them to look less cosmetic. They require more tooth structure to be removed to account for a layer of metal. This makes the gums more vulnerable to decay and inflammation with metal allergies. At times, the porcelain over the metal may fracture or chip from the metal, exposing the metal underneath.
E-Max Crowns
An e-max crown is the restoration of choice when replacing anterior or front teeth. E-max provides excellent aesthetics, improved function, and resemblance of natural teeth. They also require minimal tooth preparation and look less bulky.
What Does the Procedure Involve?
The procedure involves building up the tooth after removing any existing decay or fragile tooth margins, followed by an overall reduction of the tooth based on the type of material used. We then make an impression or mold of the prepared tooth for a more customized fit of the final prosthesis. A temporary restoration is placed on the tooth while you are waiting to receive the final permanent crown. The temporary crown preserves the gum and tooth area and prevents any sensitivity around the tooth.
How to Care for Your Crown
Caring for and maintaining the permanent dental crown is similar to that of your natural teeth. Brushing and flossing in between meals will help keep your crown plaque-free and will increase the longevity of the crown and the tooth. A night guard is a great preventative way to protect the crown against fractures, especially if you grind your teeth.
With a temporary crown, avoid sticky, chewy, and hard foods. It’s recommended to avoid chewing on the side of the mouth with the crown. Lastly, when flossing, don’t lift out but slide dental floss when taking care of your daily hygiene. The temporary crown should stick around until your permanent crown is placed.
Contact Frisco Dental Associates
As your Frisco dentist, we are proud to offer our patients a warranty that protects your investment in your health. We also require that you keep with your routine dental appointments to help prolong the life of your restoration. Have more questions? Please call Frisco Dental today at 972.335.2201 to schedule a consultation!