Dental crowns are the best solution to a wide array of issues in cosmetic dentistry, especially when your tooth is suffering from a cavity that threatens the health of the tooth itself. The tooth is “capped” or encircled by any of a wide range of materials protectively and is bonded with dental cement. This dental cement is typically a metal oxide based cement used to bind things together permanently in the acidic nature of the human mouth. Dental crowns are a long lasting and proven solution to many commonly seen issues in the dental world.

Other common situations where dental crowns are used include:

• Endodontically treated teeth (when a root canal is required and the existing tooth structure is not enough to support the tooth after the infected root is removed). Your posterior teeth (molars) can exert up to 200lbs of force so a root canal in a molar tooth almost always requires a dental crown.

• Dentures. When the “anchor tooth” is not the correct dimensions to install the dentures on, a crown can be built over the tooth to ensure a perfect fit.

• Appearance. Some teeth are just not up to your standards in cosmetic appeal. A crown can be used to cover up cosmetic issues in teeth such as genetic birthmarks or spots o when teeth are too stained for a complete cleaning.

• Dental implants. When a dental implant is required, crowns can be used to mold the implant into more natural dimensions to accurately fit in with the surrounding teeth.

Crowns are built outside of the mouth, free from the encumbrances of tight quarters, saliva and blood so they can be built using exact dimensions for a perfect fit. A mold is taken of the tooth and teeth surrounding it in question and is sent to a facility which converts the mold into a model. A crown is then built from this model and can be done so using a wide variety of materials. The most common materials used are porcelain, ceramic, gold or more recently ceramic and porcelain fused to metal. The newest methods involving crown production involve 3D printing and graphical computer software. Generating crown molds using graphical software is not a large difference from more contemporary means of doing so however.

Dental crowns are yet another fantastic dentistry invention that has made the lives of countless people better. The next time you have a severe cavity or root canal do not fret, because even if the bacteria wins in taking over your tooth, a dental crown will soon restore the balance in your favor... and with the color of your choice!