What are crowns?

Teeth that are broken or teeth that have large defected fillings can be restored to proper form, function, and appearance with crowns.

Crowns can also be used for cosmetic enhancement.
Crowns are often needed for teeth that have large metal fillings.

Over time, the forces of biting and chewing can cause a large portion of the tooth, the cusp, to break.

Two appointments are usually needed to make a crown.

At the first appointment the tooth is prepared or shaped to accept the crown. The shape of the prepared tooth assists in the retention of the crown, so is often necessary to build up the tooth.

The tooth is then prepared so the finished crown has room slip over it like a glove.
An impression is taken of the prepared tooth. A temporary crown is then placed, ending the first appointment.
The impression is used by a lab technician to make a model on which the crown is made.

Crowns can be:

- all metal
- all ceramic
- a combination of both

At the second appointment, the temporary is removed and dental cement is placed in the new crown. The crown is the cemented to the prepared tooth. The tooth is now restored to a healthy functioning state.