What is a crown?
A crown is a full covering for a natural tooth.
What are the benefits of having a crown?
A crown can be used to restore a broken tooth or a tooth that is severely worn down. Also, to cover and support a tooth with a large filling where there isn’t a lot of natural tooth left or to protect a tooth that has had root canal treatment from cracking. Cosmetically they can be used to improve the appearance of a misshapen or discoloured tooth.
What are the different types of crown?
Crowns can be differentiated according to the material they are made from;
All-Ceramic or Porcelain
These provide the best natural colour match than any other type of crown and are a good choice for front teeth.
Porcelain Bonded to Metal
Next to all-ceramic crowns porcelain bonded to metal crowns look most like natural teeth, however sometimes the metal can show through a little at the gum line and more so if the gums recede. These crowns are stronger than all-ceramic and are a good choice for back or front teeth.
Full Gold Crown
Gold crowns withstand biting and chewing forces well and probably last longest in terms or wearing down, they rarely chip or break, the main drawback is the metallic colour, they are a good choice for out of sight molars.