There are various treatments and tooth restoration options within modern dentistry, and it can be challenging to understand which option may offer the best solution to your dental health issues. For example, dental crowns have been used for many years to help restore the beauty in smiles and are a long-term solution for single teeth, which may not be the shape they should be.
We explore all that is to be expected from a dental crown and how they work in providing patients with a newly restored smile. From what to expect to material choice, we provide you with a complete guide to dental crowns.
What Are Dental Crowns?
Crowns have been used to restore teeth for centuries and can date back to as early as ancient Greek and Egyptian times. Although the materials used have changed, the outcome remains the same. Crowns come in various materials, giving them many colours and sitting on top of a patient’s tooth as a cap to prevent further tooth decay and preserve the shape of a tooth to provide functionality as it should.
Dental crowns are custom-made to fit the exact nature of the tooth, and several materials can be used to do this. Porcelain and ceramic are commonly sought-after materials as these offer the most natural look of a crown and make it more appealing to hide the crown. However, other materials such as gold and silver also provide an effective solution for a crown. As a leading private dentist in Manchester, we can supply various materials to suit your needs and wishes.
When Do You Need a Dental Crown?
A crown is a cap that can be used to restore a tooth’s shape or treat a dental treatment such as a dental implant. A crown is designed to fit over the remaining part of a patient’s tooth to protect the vulnerable tooth or offer a cosmetic solution to a perfect smile.
For many patients, a crown is desirable when a tooth has suffered trauma leading to tooth chipping. Although misshaped teeth aren’t very appealing visually, they can also affect how you chew food, leading to various issues within your mouth and jaw. A crown can fix the mishappened tooth to provide a corrected bite and a straight smile. They are also used to restore worn or weakened teeth to prevent them from suffering further damage and can even offer additional protection to cover and support a dental bridge if you have several teeth missing in a row.
What to Expect When Getting a Dental Crown
Upon your dentist’s decision that a crown is the best course of treatment, there will usually be two appointments to complete this treatment.
On the first appointment, your dentist will prepare the tooth by removing any damaged or decaying parts to leave only the healthy elements of the tooth. This raw tooth will then be reshaped and filed to accommodate the crown. Your dentist will then make an impression of the remaining tooth to sculpt the crown bespoke to the shape and fit of the surrounding teeth. The tooth will then be covered with a temporary cap until your crown is ready for implementation.
You should expect to have the crown fitted during the second appointment. After removing the temporary cap, your dentist will place the new crown onto your tooth and make any adjustments to help it look and appear naturally alongside the surrounding teeth. This process may include filing to make sure it fits comfortably.
During the procedures during the first and second appointments, your dentist will administer a local anaesthetic to numb the treatment area. The treatment should take no longer than 2-3 hours, and you can resume normal activities pretty much straight away once the local anaesthetic has worn off.
Metal Vs Porcelain Crowns
As a specialist in dental crowns in Manchester, we often get patients asking whether a metal crown is better than a porcelain crown. There isn’t a yes or no answer; it all depends on what you are looking for cosmetically.
Metal crowns such as gold and silver are considered a much more durable option for dental crowns as their construction is much stronger than porcelain. A gold crown is less likely to chip or break when exposed to excessive force, such as biting and chewing. However, their colour makes them very visible and noticeable against the natural whiteness of your teeth, so they are often not appealing to most patients.
On the other hand, porcelain can offer a more natural shade, and it can even be matched perfectly to the shade of your existing healthy teeth. This more authentic appearance is usually more desired by patience to provide a less noticeable solution, especially on teeth at the front of the mouth, such as the central incisors. However, if you require a crown at the back of your mouth on the likes of a molar, then a metal crown may not be as visible and could offer the better option as these teeth often take the brunt of chewing.
Ultimately this decision is down to the patient’s personal preference and the recommendation of the dentist. As dedicated cosmetic dentists, we offer to work with you and find a solution that will provide the most beautiful smile whilst being durable.
Caring For a Dental Crown
Although they are reasonably robust, consistent exposure to activities which may leave them vulnerable could make them susceptible to harm. Once your crown is in place, you can care for it like any other tooth. However, we recommend avoiding anything too hard and chewy, which could potentially disrupt or damage the crown.
Other than avoiding testing your new crown, it can be treated as every other tooth, with regular brushing and flossing. If you participate in any sports activities, including physical contact, we recommend having a custom-fit mouthguard to help protect any treatment.
Finding the Right Dentist For You
As a nervous patient dentist in Manchester, we understand that finding the right dentist is like finding the matching crown for your broken tooth; it needs to be the perfect fit. We offer a range of treatment options to ensure that all our patients finish our process with the smile they dreamt of. We provide a full smile makeover, which can cover a variety of treatments, all designed to give you the brightest and widest smile in the room. We can work with you to discuss your exact needs and schedule a treatment plan to work around you.
So, if you want to give your mouth the upgrade it deserves, enquire online about our various treatments or give us a call, and one of our lovely team will get you started on finding the best options for you.