Dental crowns have been a reliable tooth restoration solution for several decades. Whether your tooth is damaged from an accident or you experience discolouration as you age, a dental crown can restore its look and functionality. A dental crown is a tooth-shaped cap that fits over your existing tooth or dental implant, strengthening its structure and protecting it from further damage.
Dental crowns have come a long way since their introduction to mainstream dentistry over half a century ago. Today, there are several types of crowns in dentistry, from ceramic onlays to gold alloy caps. Depending on your oral health, the location of your damaged tooth, and your cosmetic goals, your dentist may recommend a certain type of dental crown.
Types of Crowns in Dentistry
Choosing the right type of dental crown is essential to restore a tooth to your desired shape and function successfully. There are pros and cons to all dental crown materials in terms of cost, aesthetics, durability, and the crown procedure. The main types of crowns in dentistry include:
Traditional crowns
Traditional crowns take at least two dental visits to complete. On your first visit, your dentist thoroughly examines your teeth and gums to gauge your oral health.
Provided you have no active gum disease or significant oral health issues; your dentist then takes physical impressions of your teeth and gums. Impressions are essentially hardened replicas of your dental arches. These are sent to the dental laboratory, where they are used to create your custom dental crowns.
The fabrication process typically takes around two weeks. If necessary, your dentist fits temporary crowns to protect your existing tooth structure while you wait. Traditional dental crowns are available in various materials, including zirconia, porcelain, stainless steel, and composite resin.
Once your dental crowns are ready, you must arrange a second dental visit to fit them. Your dentist secures the crowns using dental cement. They may need to adjust, shape, and polish the crowns to ensure they fit correctly and align with your bite.
Onlays (¾ crowns)
Onlays, often referred to as ¾ dental crowns, are designed to address damage on the cusp of a tooth when dental fillings may be an insufficient restoration. Your dentist may recommend an onlay there is significant damage to your tooth’s chewing surface, but the base and structure remain intact. An onlay is a less aggressive restoration than a dental crown because it preserves more of your tooth structure.
No Gaps Dental uses CEREC technology to produce high-quality ceramic onlays that cover the tooth’s cusp to restore its function.
Same-day crowns
At No Gaps Dental, we offer high-quality, same-day dental crowns, using our in-house chairside economical restoration of esthetic ceramic (CEREC) technology. This state-of-the-art system enables us to complete the entire crown procedure from our dental practice, including the dental crown design and fabrication processes.
A key advantage of our same-day crown procedure is the computer-aided design and manufacture (CAD/CAM) technology. This allows us to produce crowns quickly and facilitates precision design and fabrication, ensuring a flawless custom prosthesis.
Types of Crowns in Dentistry: Dental Crown Materials
Choosing your dental crown material isn’t just an aesthetic decision. The type of material affects your crown’s appearance, comfort, and longevity. The primary materials used in dental crowns include:
Gold alloy
Gold has been used in restorative dental procedures for centuries. Although it is still a feature of modern dentistry, it is usually combined with metals and alloys, like nickel or chromium, to reduce costs.
Gold crowns are extremely durable and often last a lifetime. However, they don’t look natural and are noticeable when you talk and laugh. Gold crowns are typically used for molars because they can tolerate more bite force than other types of dental crown material. They are installed in a traditional, multi-visit crown procedure.
Porcelain-fused-to-metal
Porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) crowns combine a porcelain cap and a sturdy metal base to provide durable and aesthetically-pleasing restorations. You can choose from various porcelain shades to find a colour that matches your natural teeth. A drawback of PFM crowns is that the metal base becomes visible as your gums recede.
Composite resin
Composite resin is an important dental substance for a variety of procedures, such as fillings and bonding. Composite resin has also become a common material for permanent dental crowns since it provides a very natural-looking finish, closely resembling natural teeth.
Composite resin crowns are a low-cost restorative option. However, they are far less durable than metal alloys, porcelain, and ceramic. They are vulnerable to chipping, cracks, and fractures and can’t withstand substantial biting or chewing forces.
All-ceramic
All-ceramic crowns are the most natural-looking prostheses for restoring worn or damaged teeth. Available in various shades, they blend seamlessly with your natural teeth, skin, and general complexion. Ceramic is also more durable than porcelain or composite resin, offering longevity and wear resistance. It is a metal-free, hypoallergenic substance, reducing the risk of an adverse reaction following the crown procedure.
At No Gaps Dental, our same-day CEREC crowns are made from all-ceramic. After taking digital impressions of your dental arches with an intraoral scanner, we create 3D digital mockups of your custom crowns. Once the design is complete, the data is sent to the milling machine to start the fabrication process.
Your dentist can help you choose the precise ceramic shade to get your desired result. All crowns are milled from a single ceramic block, ensuring colour and texture consistency. This also makes our dental crowns very durable. Your ceramic crowns can last for over 15 years with the proper care and maintenance.
Choose the Right Type of Crowns for Your Smile
With such a variety of dental crowns available, it can be hard to know what material is best to restore your damaged or worn teeth. At No Gaps Dental, our experienced dentists offer advice and guidance on restorative treatments according to your oral health needs and smile goals.
Our same-day crown procedure provides a fast and convenient long-term solution for a host of dental issues, from decay to discolouration.
Contact No Gaps Dental on (02) 8806 0227 today for more information on dental crowns and any of our other services.
Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
References
The evolution of the CEREC system
https://jada.ada.org/article/S0002-8177(14)65299-5/pdf
How Does a Gold Crown Stack Up to Porcelain?
https://www.healthline.com/health/gold-crown-tooth
The application of CAD / CAM technology in Dentistry
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1757-899X/200/1/012020/pdf