A crown is a type of dental restoration which completely caps or encircles a tooth or dental implant. Crowns or onlays (partial crowns) are needed when there is insufficient tooth remaining to hold a filling. Crowns are most often used for teeth that are broken, worn, have portions destroyed by tooth decay, or have had root canal treatment rendering them prone to fracture. They are typically bonded to the tooth using dental cement.
There are two main types of crowns: Metal-Free and Porcelain fused to Metal. Metal-free crowns are more esthetic and typically used in the smile line. Metal free framework beneath the porcelain gives excellent aesthetic qualities to make the final restoration extremely natural looking eliminating the black line along the gums that often existed with traditional crowns. Traditional Porcelain fused to Metal crowns provide strength and durability in the back of the mouth. We use higher quality metals to ensure the proper fit and function for long-term success.
Both types of Crowns require a minimum of two appointments. At the first appointment, the dentist prepares the tooth by reducing all four walls and the biting surface, in order to provide the appropriate clearance for the new crown. An impression is then taken and sent to a dental laboratory that fabricates the crown from porcelain, metal, or both. A temporary crown is then fabricated and cemented with temporary cement. At the second appointment, the crown is cemented onto the prepared tooth, recreating the size and shape of the