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A dental crown is a guaranteed solution for fragile, liable to fracture, root canal-treated teeth, or even in complete mouth rehabilitation. It’s a very common and effective procedure for restoring damaged teeth for long-lasting strength, functionality, and aesthetics.
If you’re considering getting a dental crown at Sauve Clinic, it’s essential to understand what the procedure entails, who might need it, the different types of crowns available, and what you can expect during and after the treatment. This thorough guide provides a comprehensive overview to help you make an informed decision about your dental health.
What Are Dental Crowns?
They are full-coverage tooth-shaped caps (or hats), permanently cemented to the remaining sound tooth structure and cover the visible part of the crown, its main purpose is to restore the strength, function, longevity, and esthetic shape of the previously damaged tooth.
What Are The Benefits of Dental Crowns?
- Restoring functionality: dental crowns help restore the functionality of damaged teeth, regaining the normal mastication process as chewing and biting.
- Protection of weak teeth: Crowns help protect teeth that are weakened by decay, fracture, malformation, large filling, and treatment by root canal treatment.
- Improving Esthetics: They enhance the appearance of teeth by covering the damaged teeth, the large dental filling, discolored or misshapen teeth, and severely worn-down teeth.
- Restoring missing teeth: the dental crown is the primary unit of the dental bridge (Fixed Partial Denture) which is used to restore one or more missing teeth by relying on neighbor sound teeth.
Who Needs Dental Crowns?
- Teeth with extensive caries, and large decay that can’t be filled only by dental filling.
- Teeth weakened by extensive restorations
- Teeth with excessive wear
- teeth severely weakened or prone to fracture with any pressure as a result of endodontic treatment
- Teeth fractured or compromised with extensive micro-cracks
- Bad teeth occlusion and need restoration of the right occlusion plane.
- malformed teeth
- abutments for fixed partial dentures (the dental crowns that restore missing teeth in dental bridge procedures)
- teeth with excessive interdental spaces and need cosmetic enhancement (use case in veneers)
- teeth with excessive recession where soft tissue grafting is not appropriate.
- Restorations on implant abutments (the visible crown above the gum on the implant )
Types of Dental Crowns
All the materials used in dental crowns are bio-inert materials, and don’t cause any allergic reactions such as :
- Porcelain fused to metal crowns (PFM crowns)
- Zirconia crown
- All ceramic crowns (most famous: IPS EMAX monolithic or layered)
- All metal crowns (pediatric crowns for children with primary teeth )
- Gold Crowns (not applicable anymore unless you are a fan of gold grills like “Lil Wayne”)
- Resin and acrylic crowns (used as Temporary crowns)
Advantages And Disadvantages of Dental Crowns By Material
| Type of Dental Crown | Pros | Cons | Material Used | Suitable For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Metal Crowns |
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Gold, palladium, chromium-cobalt alloys
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Molars or non-visible teeth; patients needing high durability and strength with no care of esthetic or natural-looking teeth. |
|
Porcelain-Fused-to-Metal (PFM) Crowns |
|
|
Metal base with a porcelain overlay
|
Front and back teeth need both strength and a natural appearance
|
|
All-Ceramic/Porcelain Crowns |
|
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Zirconia, lithium disilicate, feldspar porcelain, the most famous material is IPS EMAX ceramic layered by porcelain
|
Front teeth or visible areas where appearance is crucial; are not ideal for patients with bruxism |
|
Zirconia Crowns |
|
|
Zirconia |
Molars or any teeth requiring high strength and durability; patients looking for a blend of durability and appearance.
|
|
Resin Crowns |
|
|
Composite resin |
Temporary crowns; patients on a budget; not recommended for long-term use |
What are the Safest Types of Dental Crowns?
We discussed in the earlier section the different classifications of all types of dental crown that provide a tooth cover, and none of them shows any allergy or health-related issues, once any person is diagnosed by metal allergy, he/she should inform their dentist to avoid using any metal material including the porcelain fused to metal crowns which in this case is not an option anymore, and all the available now is All Ceramic Crowns.
Dental Crown Procedure at Sauve Clinic
Getting a dental crown typically involves two to three visits to the dentist if no further dental procedure is needed. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of the process:
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First Visit: Initial Examination and Tooth Preparation
- Examination and Consultation: our dentists will begin with a thorough examination, including X-rays, to assess the health of your tooth, the surrounding bone and the gum health. If the tooth is severely decayed or if there’s a risk of infection or injury to the tooth’s pulp, a root canal treatment may be necessary before placing a crown.
- Tooth Preparation: The tooth receiving the crown is trimmed to accommodate the crown coverage. This involves removing a portion of the tooth’s outer structure.
- If a significant portion of the tooth is missing due to damage or decay, our dentist may use a filling material to “build up” the tooth to provide enough structure for the crown.
- Impressions: After reshaping the tooth, the dentist will take an impression of the prepared tooth and the opposing teeth. These impressions are sent to a dental laboratory where the crown is custom-made or by CAD/CAM. While waiting for the permanent crown, your dentist will place a temporary crown to protect the prepared tooth.
- Removing the Temporary Crown: At your second visit, your dentist will remove the temporary crown and check the fit and color of the permanent crown. If everything looks good, the new crown is permanently cemented in place.
- Fitting the Crown: Your dentist will check the fit and bite, making any necessary adjustments to ensure the crown fits perfectly with your other teeth. The crown is then permanently attached to the tooth with a special dental cement.
Cost of Dental Crowns in Turkey
One of the significant advantages of getting dental crowns in Turkey is the cost savings. Dental treatments in Turkey are considerably more affordable compared to the UK and USA due to lower overhead costs and competitive pricing.
At Sauve Clinic we offer patients on dental tourism an affordable package system according to the type of dental crown suitable for the patient’s case and also according to whether the patient needs further dental procedures like tooth build-up, dental filling, and calculus cleansing, and plaque control in order to receive efficient dental crowns that are high in function and high in durability.
We offer affordable prices not only from the UK and the USA but from all over the world. Contact us to learn more about our package price system.
Dental Crowns Post-Treatment Recovery
After receiving a dental crown, it’s crucial to follow post-care treatment in order to ensure dental crown longevity and durability
- Avoid Hard and Sticky food for a few days after receiving the crown.
- Avoid Smoking and alcoholic beverages for a few days after receiving the dental crown in order to avoid any gum / gingival irritation.
- Oral Hygiene is a must, Keep brushing and flossing to avoid any plaque accumulation and gum diseases.
- Avoid any chewing bad habits that could lead to crown fractures like (pins biting, ice chewing, etc..)
- Regular dental checkups.
Disadvantages and Possible Problems of Dental Crowns
While dental crowns are a reliable restorative option and the most efficient solution for preserving a damaged tooth and restore its function, shape and durability, they are not without potential drawbacks:
- Tooth Sensitivity: Some patients may experience sensitivity to hot or cold temperatures after the crown placement. And this usually subsides after a few days to a few weeks post-treatment. Patients could use desensitizing toothpaste to manage this sensitivity discomfort.
- Chipping or Cracking: Although rare, ceramic or porcelain crowns can chip or crack, especially if exposed to excessive force, bad chewing habits or hard foods.
- Too High crown in the patient’s mouth: It’s rare to face this drawback if the dental crown is done by a professional, but in this case the patient should head directly to the dentist for further in-clinic adjustment for proper fitting if the crown is too high and the patient faces discomfort.
- Loose Crowns: the dental crown is meant to be a permanent long-lasting tooth shaped cap in the patient’s mouth. If the cement that holds the crown in place washes out, the crown can become loose. This may require re-cementation or replacement.
Allergic Reactions: Although it’s rare as all dental crown materials are bioinert , some patients may have allergic reactions to the materials used in the crown, such as metals.
Dental Crowns Frequently Asked Questions
It’s a very theoretical question and all the answers on the internet are also hypothetical and theoretical, as I can’t ask how long this TV , The fridge or the cupboard should last? As all these are meant to be permanent and last as long as the consumer uses them.
So this question has no definitive answer, the dental crowns are permanent restoration that meant to be durable and last longer, but it’s also depends on how the patients use them, what kind of foods, drink and beverages they consume, the chewing habits and masticatory forces of the patient, the health of the gingival tissue surrounding the crown, the media of the saliva / water that the dental crown is immersed in, and the oral hygiene in additional to the dental crowns material and technical and dental procedure for providing the dental crowns.
After considering all these factors, in most perfect situations, dental crowns can last from 10-15 years or even longer with proper care.
The procedure is generally not painful, as it is performed under local anesthesia. You may experience some discomfort or sensitivity after receiving the dental crown, which usually resolves within a few days with good oral Hygiene.
No, dental crowns are made from materials that do not respond to whitening treatments. If you are considering whitening your teeth, it’s best to do so before getting a crown to ensure a uniform color.
Yes, alternatives to dental crowns include dental veneers, inlays, and onlays. Your dentist can help determine the best option based on your specific dental needs.
Zirconia crowns, for the patients who care less about esthetics and normal tooth shades grading, full zirconia crowns are highly strong and highly efficient in posterior teeth, for Anterior teeth or front teeth where natural looking is necessary, we usually use at Sauve Clinic IPS EMAX Ceramics with Zirconium core to adds on the translucency and transparency of natural look of tooth shades tho the high strength of zirconia core.