DENTAL CROWNS

1. Metal dental crowns

They can be made of different metal alloys such as cobalt-chromium or gold-palladium. They are the most durable but undoubtedly the least aesthetic. Nowadays they are rarely used, and when they are used it is only in molars, in non-visible parts.

2. Ceramic dental crowns

The only disadvantage of this type of crown is that they are not very resistant. Their main advantage is that they adapt very well to the natural colour of the tooth. For this reason they are used to replace the most visible and least chewed teeth. They are perfect for people who are allergic to metal. And in recent times, many advances are being made to extend their life.

3. Metal/ceramic crowns (porcelain)

This is a combination of the two previous ones. It consists of a metal cap or coping covered with porcelain. It is a long-lasting and more aesthetic solution than the metal one, but it has the disadvantage that over time the grey bond between the metal and the tooth tends to become noticeable as the gums recede.

4. Zirconium dental crowns

These are the most aesthetic as zirconium (or zirconium) has a degree of transparency very similar to that of the natural tooth. They are very resistant and aesthetic, which is why they are currently the most commonly used.

To place a dental crown, we first have to prepare the tooth and to do this we cut it by reducing its volume around it, by the same amount that the dental cap will later have, creating a stump where the crown made of the chosen material will later be fitted. This process is carried out under local anaesthesia.

Afterwards, a mould of the tooth to be covered must be taken so that the dental laboratory can manufacture the crown. The dentist will indicate to the laboratory the colour in which the crown should be made so that it is indistinguishable from the rest of the teeth and for this purpose they have a pantone of colours in different shades of white; in reality there are many shades of white. To protect the stump and allow us to chew, speak and maintain the aesthetics, a provisional composite crown is placed until the next visit which usually takes place in a week.

At the last visit and after having checked the fit, aesthetics and occlusion of the new crown, the provisional crown is removed and replaced by the definitive one, cementing it to the core.

If the tooth to be restored is badly damaged, it may be necessary to carry out an endodontic or root canal treatment first.

The process varies slightly if what we are going to place is a dental bridge. In this case, we will grind the teeth adjacent to the one we have lost and which will support the bridge.

In the case of a crown on an implant, it will simply have to be placed on the implant either immediately after surgery, immediate loading, or when the implant has been integrated into the bone, deferred loading.

In addition to their aesthetic function, dental crowns play an important functional role. The crown will allow us to chew properly. At Artedental, in Puerto de la Cruz, we have more than 25 years of experience in the fitting of dental crowns.