A crown, commonly known as a ‘Cap’, is an artificial restoration that fits over the remaining part of a prepared tooth, making it stronger and giving it the shape of a natural tooth.
Crowns are an ideal restoration for teeth that have broken, or have been weakened by decay or a very large filling. They can be made of porcelain, ceramic or gold.
A dental crown could be used for a number of other reasons, for instance:
- you may have discoloured fillings and would like to improve the appearance of the tooth
- you may have had a root filling which will need a crown to protect it as these teeth can be more brittle.
- it may help hold a bridge or denture firmly in place.
The process usually involves two appointments. Following your initial treatment planning session, you’ll attend a preparation appointment for the crown. Initially, your dentist will administer anaesthetic to numb the teeth and surrounding gum. The tooth will then be carefully filed down to accommodate the crown, potentially necessitating a filling to reinforce the core beforehand. Next, the dentist will either take a mould or a scan to send to the laboratory for crafting the crown. A temporary crown will be fitted until your follow-up appointment.
During the second appointment, after removing the temporary crown, the final crown will be assessed for fit and shade. If satisfactory, the new crown will be permanently cemented in place. Additional anaesthetic may be administered at this stage if needed.
