Treatments
Dental Crowns
A crown restores a tooth that is severely damaged, decayed and that can have become a source of sensitivity and pain; or a tooth that has cosmetic imperfections.
About This Treatment
A crown allows a tooth to have its original shape and function restored.
A crown will enable you to bite, chew and speak naturally again.
Some of the reasons you might need a tooth crown include:
- Large broken down filling
- Extensive dental decay
- Cracked or broken tooth
- Discolored tooth
- Tooth with poor size or shape
- Tooth that had root canal therapy and are thereafter considered fragile
- Discoloration so severe that veneers and whitening are not an option
What are the benefits of dental crowns?
- Protects a decayed tooth from further damage
- Protects a tooth after a root canal treatment
- Holds a cracked tooth together
- Improves the appearance of the tooth and mouth
- Durable and long-lasting
- High success rate of treatment
- Match the colour of your teeth
Crowns can also be used in restoring implants ( implant crown) or replacing a missing tooth ( Dental Bridge)
Implant crown:
If a tooth is missing or needs to be extracted, an implant can be placed to replace the root of the missing tooth and an implant crown is thereafter placed over the implant to create a false tooth.
Dental Bridges:
A dental bridge is generally made of two crowns and a false tooth built in between the 2 crowns to cover the gap between the existing natural teeth ( that are covered with the two crowns).
A dental bridge can be used to :
- Restore a patient’s ability to chew food
- As a space holder, to prevent existing teeth from moving around and becoming unstable
- Restore proper speech
There are different types of Dental Bridges:
- Traditional bridge: the most common type of bridge. A crown is placed on each tooth next to a missing tooth space and a false tooth (or pontic) is attached to these crowns forming a one unit piece.
- Cantilever bridge: a bridge that also allows to fill in the gap of a missing tooth . In this instance , only one crown is made and a false pontic one attached to it. These are generally less stable but can be used in specific situations.
- Maryland bridge: mostly used as a temporary solution for a missing space that will have an implant placed in or a future denture. It is held in place with the help of metal wings on either side of the missing tooth space.
At A Glance
Treatment Time
1.5 Hours
Result
Saving a Damaged Tooth
Downtime
None
Longevity
10 Years on Average
Contraindications
1) Bone Loss /periodontal Disease or 2) Decay Extending Into the Root or 3) Severely Fractured Tooth
Dr Germain is besides being a joyful and very nice person, she is a very good dentist. I came to her to replace 4 crowns, a bonding and did a whitening. She did a fantastic job and I highly recommend her. She is a real professional!
- What to Expect on The Day
Crowns generally take 2 appointments to be made.
First appointment:
- X-ray
- Numbing
- Preparing the tooth
- Taking molds
- Making a temporary
- Choosing the colour
Second appointment:
- Numbing
- Removing temporary
- Approval of final crown made by the laboratory in 2 weeks
- Cementation
- Adjusting the bite to comfort
- What is the best dental crown material? What kind of crowns should I get?
Crowns can be made of different materials, each of which can used in a different situation depending on what strength and aesthetic are required.
- All-porcelain crowns: All-porcelain crowns are made of glass-like material. They are often also called “all-ceramic crowns”. It is one of the most popular options due to its aesthetic. Porcelain contains no metal
- Porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns: Also known as PFM crowns.These crowns consist of metal thin core covered with an aesthetic porcelain exterior. The color match can be as good and aesthetic as an all ceramic porcelain crown. They are incredibly robust and strong and can be a great option where strength is needed.
- Ceramic zirconia crowns are a type of porcelain crowns that are metal-free but yet have the strength of metals and are more fracture resistant. They can also match the color of your natural teeth.
- Temporary Crowns: are often made of acrylic or composites (more plastic-like materials) and are usually used to fabricate the crown that will be placed in the month while the laboratory is making the permanent crown or while the tissues need to heal after a surgery like a gum lift or a crown lengthening.
- Do you always need a crown after you have a root canal?
It is possible to have a root canal treatment without having a crown. But it is true that a tooth that has had a root canal is often weaker and at a greater risk of fracture. Therefore most of the time a crown is needed after root canal treatment.
In fact, often a tooth that had a root canal was initially severely decayed infecting the nerve of that tooth. If the decay has affected the majority of the tooth or if the crown was broken, the remaining good tooth structure is weakened and needs to be crowned to have the tooth maintain its function.
If however the bulk of the tooth remains unaffected then you can have a root canal treatment without having a permanent crown fitted afterwards.
- What is the difference between a bridge and a denture
The simple answer is that a dental bridge is a fixed (permanent) in your mouth, whereas a denture is removable.
Also in general, dentures often replace multiple missing teeth whereas bridges are often more limited to 1 to 2 missing teeth. Bridges can also replace multiple teeth if designed to do so. In general dentures tend to be more affordable than bridges.
