A dental crown is a fixed kind of prosthesis in which we replace the outer layers of a tooth with a cap made out of porcelain. A high-quality crown will imitate a tooth to perfection and will allow us to preserve a tooth that would otherwise have to be extracted or that could give further problems in the future. Each crown is custom-made, so you will never see two identical crowns. Their purpose is twofold: to restore functionality and enhance dental esthetics. If well taken care of, they can last up to 25 years, but they will be considered successful if they last between 15 and 20 years. Like everything in dentistry, this longevity will depend on your daily oral hygiene and factors like your occlusion or the alignment of your teeth, which can lead to fracture or chipping.
When to consider a crown?
You may want to consider a crown in the following situations:
- Your tooth has fractured or chipped.
- Your tooth has a large filling and the remaining tooth structure is either too little or too weak.
- Your tooth has undergone a root canal treatment.
- Your tooth is discolored or misaligned.
- When there is a serious grinding problem (known also as bruxism), the tooth structure can be restored and preserved through a number of crowns. Grinding your teeth a night may cause serious damage to your teeth, that if left untreated can lead to teeth extraction. The best way to restore and protect your teeth is with crowns.
- If you have had an implant. A dental implant is put in place when a tooth has been extracted. Nonetheless, an implant will be below your gumline. In order to fill the gap, a crown must be attached to it. This is typically done 4-5 months after the implant has been placed to ensure your implant has integrated properly.
- For purely esthetic reasons. Some patients decide to place dental crowns over otherwise healthy teeth to obtain the smile of their dreams. With a number of crowns, we can get a “Hollywood” white smile that won’t stain over time, we can correct misalignment without the need of braces, we can correct mild occlusion problems (like a crossbite), and we can correct the general shape of your teeth.
What are the pros and cons of dental crowns?
Pros
Crowns give the dentist the most flexibility. As opposed to composite bondings or porcelain veneers, crowns allow us the greatest range of action with the esthetic changes that want to be done.
Crowns are the most resistant kind of restoration available and they can last up to 25 years. Crowns also do not stain or change color with time.
Nowadays, crowns are so natural-looking that you can barely tell they are there.
Cons
They require grinding of a considerable part of the tooth, which makes them an irreversible procedure.
Depending on your age and circumstances a crown can cause sensitivity on your teeth, which may result in the need of a root canal treatment.
At the Costa Rica Dental Team we specialize in esthetic and functional restorations. We believe crowns are an excellent way to restore your general oral health. We have an onsite lab that allows us to deliver these in the shortest amount of time without compromising on the quality. For this reason, we offer an incredible 10-year warranty over them. Do you have any questions? We will be happy to get to know your case and give you the smile you’ve always wanted. Feel free to contact us now!
