Dental crowns are custom, tooth-shaped caps designed for placement over existing teeth or dental implants. Dental crowns help restore the shape and strength of your teeth, improve bite alignment, and make it easier to eat and speak.

Although dental crowns are a popular and versatile restoration option, they are not always the right choice for your smile. If you experience a minor chip or extrinsic staining on your front teeth, veneers or dental bonding may be a more suitable, less invasive solution. Before deciding on a restorative procedure, consider asking your dentist when are dental crowns needed?

When Are Dental Crowns Needed?

So when are dental crowns needed? Dental crowns are usually required for structural issues when standard fillings or dental bonding can’t support enough of the natural tooth. The primary reasons you might need dental crowns include: 

To protect a weak or broken tooth

Dental crowns help protect a broken or worn tooth from further damage. If you lose a significant part of your tooth enamel due to decay or after a root canal treatment, the remaining structure may lack integrity.

A dental crown caps the existing tooth structure, restoring its look, function and strength. 

Failing to safeguard a weakened or broken tooth makes it vulnerable to infection. Even small cracks or holes allow bacteria to invade the pulp chamber, causing infection. Infected pulp, or pulpitis, can induce significant discomfort, inflammation, and sensitivity to hot and cold foods. If left untreated, it may develop into an abscess with potentially life-threatening complications, such as cellulitis and sepsis. 

The dental crown procedure involves cementing the prosthesis into the gumline. This prevents plaque or harmful bacteria from accessing vulnerable sections of your tooth. 

To shield a tooth with a large filling

Tooth decay is one of the most common global health problems. Australian adults have an average of over 11 decayed, missing, or filled teeth. While minor dental caries is easily treatable, deeper decay can cause permanent damage to your teeth. 

The most common treatments for tooth caries are fillings. In cases of severe decay, a standard filling may be unable to completely restore the tooth’s structure. Your dentist may recommend strengthening the tooth by fitting a custom crown instead of a filling.

To secure a dental bridge

A dental bridge is an effective restorative treatment that helps fill the gap left by missing teeth. A traditional bridge is a false tooth, called a pontic, held in place by dental crowns on the adjacent teeth. A cantilever bridge has a similar design but only requires a single crown to be cemented into an abutment tooth. 

Your dentist may recommend a traditional or cantilever bridge with dental crowns if you have healthy teeth on either side of a gap. Your existing teeth need to be shaped to ensure the crowns fit securely. 

To restore a tooth’s aesthetic

Tooth discolouration and wear and tear are natural as you age. While you can maintain your pearly whites through good oral hygiene habits and a healthy diet, some staining and discolouration are unavoidable. Diseases, genetics, certain medications, and trauma can cause your teeth to darken prematurely. 

Although teeth whitening treatments can help reduce the effects of superficial staining, intrinsic discolouration is more difficult to treat. Custom dental crowns can be fitted over heavily discoloured or worn teeth, restoring your white, even smile. 

To complete a dental implant

Dental implants are artificial tooth roots surgically fitted to the jawbone. They are a permanent tooth loss solution and require several months of dental care. The final step involves fitting a dental crown or bridge over the implant. Each implant is connected to the dental restoration by a small metal element called an abutment. 

The Dental Crown Procedure

Traditionally, the dental crown procedure was a two-visit procedure that could take several weeks to complete. Dentists take moulds of your teeth before sending them to a dental laboratory to fabricate your crowns. While waiting for your custom crown, you wear a temporary crown to protect your existing teeth. 

We use advanced CEREC technology at No Gaps Dental to offer high-quality, same-day dental crowns. Our CEREC system enables us to complete the entire procedure in our surgery, including the fabrication process. Receiving our same-day crowns is a minimally invasive, four-step process:

• Oral examination and scan

The first step involves an oral examination, ensuring your teeth and gums are healthy and disease-free. We use an intraoral camera to take 3D digital impressions of both dental arches. This technology allows us to diagnose gum disease (periodontitis) quickly.

If your dentist detects oral health issues, you may require preparatory work before beginning the crown procedure. Periodontitis is treated with antibiotics, scaling and root planing. If preparatory care is needed, your dental crown procedure will be delayed until your teeth and gums fully recover. 

• Crown design 

The next step is to develop your custom crowns using the 3D data captured by the intraoral scanning device. Assisted by computer-aided design and manufacture (CAD/CAM) technology, your dentist designs your custom crowns. Once the design is complete, the digital information is sent to the milling machine for fabrication.

• Fabrication

Our state-of-the-art milling machine fabricates perfect custom crowns in as little as 15 minutes.

Our dental crowns are fabricated from a single ceramic block that matches your natural tooth colour.

This ensures consistency of colour, and the monolithic structure also contributes to a more durable prosthesis. 

• Securing the crown

Dental crowns are secured in place with dental cement. Your dentist may use a curing light to speed up the drying process. Occasionally, new crowns may need to be reshaped to ensure your bite aligns properly. 

The entire dental crown procedure takes place during a single dental visit. 

Find The Right Dentist For Your Dental Crowns

CEREC crowns from No Gaps Dental are a convenient and minimally invasive way to restore damaged or stained teeth. Transform your smile with a visit to one of our 15 Sydney-based locations. Our experienced dentists can answer any questions you might have, like when are dental crowns needed? 

To start the process, schedule a dental consultation at No Gaps Dental by calling us on (02) 8806 0227 today. 

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

References 

What Is Pulpitis?
https://www.healthline.com/health/pulpitis#symptoms

Management of dental pain in primary care
https://www.nps.org.au/assets/p39-Timmerman-Parashos-v2-POPUPS-REMOVED.pdf

Dental Bridge
https://www.healthline.com/health/dental-bridge#types