Everything You Need to Know About a Dental Crown

Dental crowns, commonly called dental caps, are used in cosmetic dentistry for a variety of reasons. They are used to restore and strengthen teeth that may be damaged from tooth decay. Crowns are also used for aesthetic purposes. If your teeth are severely misshapen or discolored, a crown can be fully placed over it to hide the ugly appearance of the tooth. So how are they made?

Procedure

In most cases, you will be required to visit your dentist's office twice in order to get a dental crown. During the first visit, you dentist will remove a certain amount of enamel from your tooth so that the crown will fit properly. After this is done, he will take a dental impression of your teeth and send it off to a laboratory to have the dental crown made by a lab technician. You have the choice of having the crown made from porcelain, metal alloys, or a combination of both? So what are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

Advantages/Disadvantages

Crowns made from porcelain are by far the most popular as they provide the most natural appearance. A disadvantage of porcelain crowns is that they can easily chip or break if you put too much pressure on them. Metal alloy crowns are considerably more durable than those made from porcelain. They are ideal for patients who have a strong bite or bad habits such as grinding or clenching their teeth. If you want the best of both worlds, you can have a dental crown made from porcelain and metal. Both materials combined gives you the natural appearance of porcelain with the strength and durability that the metal provides.
So what are the costs?

Cost

When a dental crown is required to repair damaged teeth, the bill is normally paid by your dental insurance provider. If you decide to get a crown just for the aesthetic benefits, you will usually have to pay for them yourself. They cost anywhere from $600 to $3000 per tooth depending on the type of material used. Porcelain crowns are usually more expensive because they take longer for the lab technician to make.

As you get older, your teeth will slowly start to weaken. Decay, chipping, and cracking can all lead to problems with a tooth's appearance. When this happens, a dental crown may be just what you need. Even if there are no structural defects, a crown can often be used to give you a whiter, brighter smile.