We specialize in Cleveland dental crowns! At Cleveland Dental Institute we use dental crowns to restore a broken, weak, or decayed tooth to help restore your smile and reinforce the strength of your tooth.
What is a dental crown?
A dental crown is a cap that fits right over the top of your tooth, is designed to be shaped just like a real tooth, and is used to restore weakened, broken, or decayed teeth. The tooth being “crowned” is shaped down to allow the dental crown to securely fit in place.
Cleveland dental crowns are made from a range of different materials, which can include resin, porcelain, or metal.
Why are dental crowns needed?
Cleveland dental crowns are used for a variety of reasons, from restoration to cosmetic purposes, but are typically used to strengthen or support a damaged tooth. Dental crowns may be required for:
- Covering a tooth that has been treated with a root canal
- Strengthen and restore a worn or weakened tooth
- Support a cracked tooth
- Hold a dental bridge intact
- Conceal a darkened or discolored tooth
- Conceal dental implants
Types of Cleveland dental crowns
CDI offers several types of Cleveland dental crowns and your doctor will discuss the best solution for your needs. The following are types of common dental crowns.
Resin dental crowns
Typically the least expensive dental crown, resin crowns are mostly used for temporary fixes, such as protecting a recently treated tooth. Resin dental crowns last about five years or so and are more delicate and more prone to breakage compared to other dental crowns.
Porcelain-fused metal (PFM) dental crowns
Porcelain-fused metal dental crowns, or PFM dental crowns for short, are typically among the strongest and longest lasting dental crowns. Since the base of the crown is metal and the exterior is porcelain, these can easily be designed and colored to perfectly match the shade of your natural teeth. On average, PFM dental crowns can last 20 years or more.
The potential downsides of PFM dental crowns include chipping of the porcelain, which may expose the metal interior. They may also wear down the natural teeth that come into contact with the PFM crown.
Metal dental crowns
Metal dental crowns can be made of nickel, chromium, palladium and yes— gold. The obvious plus side to metal dental crowns is there strength and durability. They rarely wear or breakdown and can withstand biting most foods, and last 30 years or more. The obvious drawback to metal dental crowns is appearance. Metal crowns will be the color of their metallic makeup and for this reason, are typically only used for molars.
Ceramic dental crowns
Ceramic dental crowns (or porcelain dental crowns) are relatively durable and long-lasting and are typically less impactful in regards to damage or wear of neighboring or opposing natural teeth. They can be precisely matched in color and appearance to your natural teeth, and are an obvious choice for patients with metal allergies.
Another kind of crown is the pressed ceramic crown. Unlike the ceramic crown, which is 100% ceramic, the pressed ceramic dental crown is more closely related to the PFM dental crown. It uses a tough inner core made of melted, pressed ceramic, and is then layered with porcelain until the crown mimics your natural tooth. Like PFM dental crowns, pressed ceramic crowns outer layers can chip and break off over time or when biting hard foods, ice, nuts, etc.
The Cleveland dental crowns procedure at CDI
Cleveland dental crowns at Cleveland Dental Institute usually start with a consultation visit first. In this visit, your tooth will be prepped for the crown, meaning your dentist will start to remove an amount of enamel from the tooth that will allow your crown to fit over top. Filling material may also be applied to help build up areas of the tooth to ensure the fit.
Your CDI dentist will then take a dental impression, which will be used by the dental lab where a highly trained technician will create your Cleveland dental crown. This can take several weeks to over a month to create, so you may have a temporary resin crown placed until the permanent crown is ready.
By the time of your second visit, the lab tech will have finished your permanent crown and your dentist will remove the temporary crown, check the underlying tooth and the permanent crown to ensure the fit, shape, and appearance is correct, and then will bond your permanent dental crown to your tooth using a strong tooth cement.
Learn more about crowns and bridges here.
Learn more about cosmetic services at CDI.
