Dr. Christopher Pescatore
Restorative & Cosmetic Dentistry
Creating Beautiful Smiles
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All About Dental Crowns

In Restoration February 24, 2021

Dental imperfections like fractures, discolorations, and even gaps can negatively affect the appeal of your smile. Fortunately, you can correct dental problems with restorations like crowns. Dental crowns are custom caps that fit over your teeth to repair damage. Crowns restore the shape and size of your teeth, protect them from further damage, and enhance appearance.

Why Choose a Dental Crown?

Teeth can become damaged over time from decay, injury, and regular use. Grinding or bruxism can also change the size and shape of teeth. Here are some additional reasons you may need a crown:

  • Cavities that are too big for fillings
  • To secure bridges for missing teeth
  • Cracked, broken, or worn down teeth
  • To cover dental implants
  • To protect and strengthen a tooth after a root canal treatment
  • Repair deep discoloration

If you’ve any of the above issues, crowns can help you achieve your smile goals. Not only do crowns restore the functionality of your teeth and enhance your smile, but they also have a better success rate than other restorative treatments such as inlays and onlays.

What Type of Crowns Are There?

Dental crowns come in various materials ranging from metals like gold and silver to tooth-colored porcelain. Some of the common materials used for crowns include:

1. Porcelain-Fused-to-Metal

Porcelain fused to metal crowns consist of a metal base covered with porcelain. The porcelain can easily match the look of your natural teeth. Porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns are perfect for both front and back teeth or long bridges that require a strong metal base for support.

2. Ceramic and Porcelain Crowns

Both ceramic and porcelain crowns are great for cosmetic purposes as they match your natural tooth color, making them ideal for front teeth. Other than aesthetics, they are also strong, durable, and perfect for people with metal allergies.

3. Metal Crowns

Metal crowns come in various forms, including copper, gold, or silver alloys. They are highly durable as they don’t chip or break and do not wear away adjacent teeth. However, the metal colors can interfere with the appeal of your smile and are best used on back molars.

What Is the Difference Between a Temporary and a Permanent Crown?

A temporary crown refers to a crown that you wear while waiting for the dentist to craft a permanent crown. It is made at the dentist’s office and usually consists of stainless steel or acrylic-based materials. Permanent crowns, on the other hand, are made at the lab or in your dentist’s office using CEREC technology. They consist of highly durable material and act as final tooth restorations.

The Steps of Receiving a Crown

Getting a dental crown is a simple procedure that usually involves two visits for preparation and placement.

Step 1: Preparation

During your first visit, your dentist will prepare your tooth by shaping it. Doing so is necessary for achieving the right base shape for a proper fit. Your dentist will then wash and dry your tooth before taking an impression of your tooth and bite. This procedure facilitates the production of your permanent crown at the lab. Your dentist will then place a temporary crown that protects your tooth as you wait for your permanent crown.

Step 2: Placement

After one or two weeks, your permanent crown will be ready. During the second appointment, your dentist will remove the temporary crown. Any adjustments regarding color and fit are made during this stage until the new crown matches and fits perfectly. Finally, your dentist cements the crown on your tooth to restore your smile.

How to Care for Your Crown

Dental crowns don’t require any special treatment. Take care of your crowns by practicing proper hygiene, which involves brushing and flossing daily, and going for regular dental checkups. Note that crowns are subject to normal wear and tear, and you may have to replace them after some time. However, with proper care and maintenance, dental crowns can last you for up to 15 years.

The cost of your crown will depend on the type of material used and your insurance. Most plans will only cover part of the cost, so be sure to discuss everything with your dentist before treatment.

The post All About Dental Crowns first appeared on Dental Signal.
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Dr. Pescastore,

I just had to take a minute to let you know how much me and my family appreciate everything you have done for us. When we met in 2001 I was honestly anxious about the work I needed to have done. I was nervous about the results and also about the potential pain it might take to achieve the smile I wanted. You were so thorough in your evaluation of my extensive dental history and so clear in your explanation of the procedures required that I felt confident to take your recommendations and trust my smile to you. I have never regretted that decision. I am so grateful for the way you and your wonderful staff made every appointment as easy and comfortable as it could possibly have been. I was always happy to be going there knowing I would be treated so well and love the results. I still feel the same way, and look forward to my appointments with you and your caring staff. I really enjoy the spa like feeling and always leave there more relaxed than when I arrived. My friends are always surprised to learn that I look forward to my dentist appointments as they are lamenting about theirs.

I am especially grateful for the way you have treated my daughters. They too had many dentists before you and were nervous about going to the dentist. Thanks to you and Stacey and the rest of your wonderful staff they now share my feeling about going to the dentist and are happy to be there. Brooke is so afraid of needles that even at seventeen years old she still cries if she thinks she might get a shot at the doctors office. She was very nervous before her first appointment with you, in spite of mine and her sisters assurance that it really wouldn't hurt. Thank you for proving us right. Now even Brooke is not afraid to go to the dentist. I also want you to know how grateful I am for the emergency care you gave Sadie when she chipped her front tooth. I really appreciate you changing your own plans for the day to help her. She was so upset about the way her tooth looked that she cried all the way to your office. She, like me, left your office that day feeling great about herself and her smile. You have really made a positive difference in our lives and we are all so grateful to you for it. We all look forward to seeing you and your great team for our future dental needs.

With Great Respect and Many Thanks,

Pennie Gaddis

I look back at old photographs and realize I spent years hiding teeth. I had braces in my 30s and made the mistake of having my orthodontist apply veneers to my discolored, misshapen teeth. I was his first veneers patient, and I learned that when you're having cosmetic dentistry done, you should have a cosmetic dentist do it. When I decided to have those veneers replaced, I found an expert Dr. Pescatore. In fact, it was just a few weeks before my wedding that I asked Dr. Pescatore to do my smile makeover. I trusted him completely and knew from my first appointment that I was in good hands. He impressed me with his concern that my veneers look natural, and they do. My smile is huge in my wedding pictures, not only because I had a new husband but also because I had fabulous new teeth! I'm grateful to Dr. Pescatore and his caring, attentive staff for what they did for me. I finally have the smile I'd always wanted.

Evelyn Dalton

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