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Dental Crowns

Burpengary Dental offers patients the opportunity to restore their beautiful smile and enhance a tooth’s functionality with custom-made crowns. The crowns at Burpengary Dental are manufactured by local Australian labs.

Important facts

 

  • A crown (or cap) is a tooth shaped restoration that encases the entire tooth surface.
  • Restores the shape and size of the tooth.
  • Improves strength and appearance of the tooth.
  • Crowns protect teeth that cannot be restored with fillings or other types of restorations.
  • All custom crowns at Burpengary Dental are Australian made!
Dental Crowns
Dental Crowns
Dental Crown
Dental Crowns

F.A.Q.

Why do I need a crown?

There are several different reasons why a dental crown is required on teeth.  At Burpengary Dental we routinely use crowns to:

  • Repair and strengthen damaged teeth: Teeth with extensive decay or large fillings can leave thin, weak cusps that cannot support the pressures of chewing over several years (cusps are the pointed structures of teeth that take the load while chewing)
  • Reinforce a structurally compromised teeth
  • Restore endodontically treated teeth (teeth which have had a root canal)
  • Improve the appearance of teeth for cosmetic purposes (including colour, shape and even alignment)
  • Hold a dental bridge in place
  • Cover a dental implant
What type of materials can dental crowns be made of?

Crowns can be made out of:

  • Ceramic
    All porcelain / ceramic crowns provide the best natural colour match compared to other crown types and are more suitable for people with metal allergies.  These crowns are commonly used on front teeth as they are highly aesthetic however are not as strong as metal or porcelain fused to metal crowns.
  • Metal alloy (a gold or other precious, semi-precious or non-precious alloy)
    Metal crowns are a lot more conservative than other crown types as less tooth structure needs to be removed.  Metal crowns last the longest and can withstand any biting and chewing forces well.  They rarely chip or break however the main issue with metallic crowns is the colour.  Metal crowns are a good choice used for out-of-sight back teeth.
  • A combination of dental ceramic and metal alloy (porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns)
    These crowns are the most common type of dental crowns used at Burpengary Dental.  They can be colour matched to adjacent teeth unlike metal crowns and have the strength from the underlying metal framework.  Sometimes the metal underlying the crown’s porcelain can show through as a dark line, especially at the gum line as the gums recede, however, this does take years to occur if the crown is created perfectly.  These crowns are good for both front and back teeth.
How long will a crown last?

It would be reasonable to expect that a dental crown could last between 5 – 15 years. Depending upon the general wear and tear the crown is exposed to (chewing and biting forces, accidental trauma, tooth grinding) and how well you keep its tooth free of dental plaque, a crown can last somewhat indefinitely.

What happens if I don't get a crown?

If a crown is not placed on a tooth that has a large restoration or has been endodontically (root canaled teeth) treated, the tooth could fracture and may need to be removed.  Due to the minimal structure of tooth remaining on a large restoration and endodontically treated teeth, the biting and chewing pressures can cause vertical fractures in the remaining tooth structure.

The largest study of patients (over 1000) ever done on this subject found that a posterior (back) tooth was twice as likely to break if it was not crowned as if it were.

How long will the procedure take?

The crown procedure is split up over two appointments:

Appointment 1 (60 mins – 90 mins)

  • Numbing the tooth
  • Shaping the tooth (A specific amount of the tooth must be trimmed away.  The trimmed tooth must have a specific shape which will help to insure the crown’s retention and stability.)
  • Taking an impression of the prepared tooth
  • Placing a temporary crown
  • Choosing the shade of the porcelain

Appointment 2 (30mins)

  • Evaluating the fit and appearance of the crown
  • Cementing the crown
What are the risks involved with getting a crown?

The risks involved with crowns are of a very low percentage and mainly occurs when there has been severe damage to the tooth already.

These include:

  • Breakage of tooth during preparation
  • Infection of pulp or gums
    Whenever enamel is removed there is always a small risk that the underlying pulp may die and become infected.  In this case a root canal treatment is necessary.
  • Pain and discomfort
    The gums surrounding the tooth may be injured and feel tender for a few hours after the procedure as the effect of anaesthesia wears off.
  • Altered feeling
    Since the shape of the tooth is altered, its feel and texture may be different and can affect feeling.