DENTAL PROCEDURES
Bonded veneers on front teeth are a conservative way to beautifully restore unaesthetic or broken teeth.
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Every tooth is custom made depending on what shape and type of restoration was present at the beginning of treatment.
Dental Crowns
A full dental crown is a covering placed over your tooth with the goal of restoring its shape, size, strength and its appearance. Full crowns completely encase the visible portion of a tooth, extending from the biting surface down to the gum line.
Dental crowns are used to:
- Restore a tooth that is broken or severely ground down by grinding
- Cover and protect a tooth that is broken down so far that it will not support a large filling
- Anchor a dental bridge when natural teeth are being used as abutment structures
- Cover an oddly shaped, severely discolored or broken tooth
- Form the visible portion of a dental implant
Dental crowns can be crafted using a range of materials. Based on their construction, there are four styles of dental crowns. These include:
- All metal dental crown
- Porcelain-fused-to-metal dental crown
- All resin dental crown
- All ceramic (all porcelain) dental crown
The all metal dental crown that Dr. Becker prefers is hand crafted using a gold alloy. He prefers gold dental crowns for the following reasons:
- Gold is incredibly biocompatible
- It has the smoothest edges and maintains its smooth, glossy finish
- It is the most gentle to the nerve of the tooth
- Gold’s expandability and contractibility closely approximates that of natural teeth
- It wears gently against the opposing teeth when chewing
- Gold is less traumatic for your tooth over time
Gold, when compared with other crown types, requires less tooth removal for initial attachment. It withstands biting and chewing forces well and wears the longest. In addition, gold dental crowns rarely chip or break. For most clients the only drawback is the metallic color.
For clients seeking a natural tooth-like appearance, several types of porcelain dental crowns are available. For esthetics they can be color matched to your adjacent teeth. However, more wearing on the opposing teeth occurs with this crown type, and the porcelain can chip and break. All-ceramic crowns and porcelain-fused-to-metal resemble normal teeth the best. In some cases the metal underlying the crown's porcelain can show through as a dark line. This occurs chiefly at the gum line and becomes more prominent if your gums recede. These crowns are a good choice for your highly visible front teeth.
All-resin dental crowns are less expensive than other crown types. However, they wear down over time and are more susceptible to fractures than porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns.
All-ceramic or all-porcelain dental crowns provide a better natural color match than any other type, and may be the most biocompatible alternative for people with metal allergies. However, they are not as strong as gold or porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns and they wear down opposing teeth more than gold. All-ceramic crowns are a good looking choice for front teeth.
Dr. Becker has supplied this quick Q and A Section to answer some of the most frequently asked questions he receives. Feel free to call his Shoreline dental office at 206.542.4848 if you have any further questions.
What Steps Are Involved In Getting A Dental Crown?
Getting a dental crown usually requires two visits with Dr. Becker. During your first visit he examines and prepares your tooth for the crown. Dr. Becker also makes a dental impression (model or template) from which your crown is custom made. Then, for protection, he fits you with a temporary crown. During your second visit, your temporary is removed and your permanent dental crown is placed and shaped to fit your bite.
What Are “3/4 Crowns”, “Onlays” and “Inlays”?
“¾ crowns” provide “partial coverage”. The difference between ¾ and full crowns is the extent of underlying tooth coverage. The full crown covers the entire tooth where as ¾ crowns cover the underlying tooth to a lesser extent.
Most onlays and inlays are classified as “Indirect Fillings”. They are similar to ¾ and full crowns in that they require two visits to our office, are custom made, and you wear a temporary during the interim between visits. Dr Becker considers indirect fillings when not enough of your tooth remains to support a filling, but your tooth is not so severely damaged that it requires a full crown.
Inlays are similar to traditional fillings in appearance. The main difference between the two is that with inlays, the entire work surface is located within the cusps (bumps) of your tooth’s chewing surface. Onlays are more extensive than inlays, covering one or more cusps. Onlays are sometimes referred to as partial crowns.
Inlays and onlays are more durable and last much longer than traditional fillings (up to 30 years). They can be constructed using tooth-colored composite resin, porcelain or gold. Inlays and onlays can ultimately weaken tooth structure, but to a much lower extent than traditional fillings.
Direct inlays and onlays follow the same processes and procedures as the indirect form. The primary difference is that direct inlays and onlays are made in our dental office and can be placed in one visit. The type of inlay or onlay style employed depends on how much sound tooth structure remains and your cosmetic concerns.
Dr. Becker strives to be as conservative as possible, in as much as the vast majority of his crown work involves “partial coverage”.
This means that he saves as much of your natural tooth as possible. Dr. Becker only replaces the portion of your tooth required to provide dental strength, durability, comfort and natural beauty.
How Long Will My Dental Crown Last?
The life span of a crown depends on the type of crown, the amount of "wear and tear" it receives, how well you follow good oral hygiene practices, and your personal mouth-related habits. If you suffer from bruxism (teeth grinding) or you are in the habit of clenching your teeth, the life span of your crown can be shortened. Dr. Becker will discuss these conditions with you and can assist you in correcting them.
As you might expect, Dr. Becker will advise you to avoid chewing on hard nonessentials such as ice cubes and jaw breakers. If you are a nail biter, please stop. Nail biting wears down the biting surfaces of your teeth. And, if needed, Dr. Becker will explain why you should not use your teeth to open packages. On average, a crown can last for up to 15 years or more with proper care.
Does My Crowned Tooth Require Special Care?
Crowned teeth do not require any special care, but this does not mean they are indestructible nor does it mean that underlying teeth are protected from decay or gum disease. Therefore, continue to follow good oral hygiene practices including professional teeth cleanings.