Home News & Blog How Are Dental Crowns Made? Everything You Need To Know

How Are Dental Crowns Made? Everything You Need To Know

4th June 2022

A dental crown is a versatile restoration and cosmetic dentistry solution. The fabrication of your dental crown depends on the reason you need it, your dental practice’s techniques and your personal preferences.

What are Dental Crowns?

A dental crown is a hollow cap or cover that encases the visible portion of the original tooth above the gum line. It is placed on top of a damaged tooth to cover, protect, and restore the appearance and shape of the original tooth. It is also used to replace a missing tooth in dental implant and dental bridge restorations.

Dental crowns are recommended when a filling is inadequate, but common questions patients ask include, ‘why they are used’ and ‘how are dental crowns made’? Some common reasons for a dental crown include:

Top a dental implant to replace a missing tooth
Improve the shape of an existing tooth
Disguise discolouration of a tooth
Conceal damage from chips or cracks, or add strength to a damaged tooth
Close a gap left by a missing tooth as part of a bridge
Top a root canal and restore the tooth’s functionality, strength and appearance

Types of Dental Crown Materials

Several types of materials are used to make permanent dental crowns; your dentist will recommend the type to be used for your dental crown procedure based on the location of the crown in your mouth and your preference.

Metal: Gold, nickel, palladium, and chromium are all used to make dental crowns because they rarely break or chip, are the longest wearing, and often don’t require too much of the original tooth to be removed. Metal is an excellent option for this procedure when your dental crown is less visible since it won’t match the original or surrounding teeth’s colour.
Porcelain-fused-to-metal: These dental crowns are better for those seeking a seamless smile because the colour can more closely match the surrounding teeth. However, the underlying metal can sometimes show through the porcelain cap, creating a black line on the gum line.
Resin: This type of dental crown often costs less than other materials but has the disadvantage of wearing down more over time than metal or porcelain and ceramic dental crowns.
Ceramic or porcelain: All-ceramic or all-porcelain dental crowns are the best choices for matching the colour of your existing teeth and a good option if you have a metal allergy. However, these types aren’t as strong as metal dental crowns and can cause more wear to the teeth that come in contact with them.
Pressed ceramic: Pressed ceramic crowns have a hard inner core. Capped with porcelain, these crowns are the best match for the colour and lustre of your original smile.

How Are Dental Crowns Made: Dental Crown Procedure

There are two methods for how dental crowns are made. The first dental crown procedure usually takes two visits to your dentist’s practice.

Tooth preparation

First, the tooth receiving the crown needs to be shaped. Your dentist uses a dental instrument to pare down, file, and smooth the tooth’s enamel. A composite resin may be used to build up a tooth that needs more structure.

This step is critical to the entire procedure. If the tooth is not filed down properly or prepared incorrectly, the dental crown may not fit, causing discomfort and possible misalignment of the bite and jaw.

Dental impressions

Impressions of the tooth are made using a thick liquid material poured into a u-shaped tray and fitted to the tooth being crowned. The impression is sent to an off-site technician to fabricate. If your dental crown isn’t metal, this is also the stage where it will be colour matched to your surrounding teeth.

Temporary dental crown placement

Your dentist will use temporary cement to fit you with a temporary crown to protect the shaped original tooth while your crown is being made.

Permanent dental crown placement

To place the permanent crown, your dentist carefully lines the inside of the dental crown with dental cement and adheres it to the prepared tooth. Once in place, any excess cement is cleaned or scraped away.

How Are Dental Crowns Made: CEREC Dental Crown Procedure

A CEREC crown involves a one-day procedure using digital scans and computer-aided design and manufacturing to duplicate your original tooth. These crowns are made of a very strong ceramic, and because this type of dental crown lacks a metal core, it is often indistinguishable from the original tooth.

Digital scans

For the CEREC method, a wand is used to take digital pictures of the inside of your mouth and original tooth. Then, a 3-D model is created from those images using computer-aided design (CAD).

Milling the dental crown

Using computer-aided manufacturing, a new dental crown is carved from ceramic within a few minutes.

CEREC dental crown placement

The new crown is finely polished, fitted and placed in your mouth. CEREC’s same-day dental crown means you can leave the dental practice with a fully restored smile after just one visit.

Where Do I Get a Dental Crown?

At No Gaps Dental, we offer both cosmetic and restorative dentistry treatments. Serving you with 15 locations across Sydney, we can help you with your dental crown procedure. We use cutting-edge technology like CEREC to minimise your time in the dental chair and give you great results.

Whether you need a dental crown to repair a cracked or chipped tooth or want to enhance your smile, use our online booking form to make your appointment today. Call us now on 02 8007 6727.

Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.