If you have a weak, cracked, or broken tooth, then you may need a dental crown. Sometimes, a dental crown is necessary when there is a big filling with little tooth left, teeth are misshapen or discolored, or a dental implant needs to be protected, according to WebMD.
A dental crown is a cap shaped like your tooth that can cover your broken tooth to boost its resilience, shape, and size. There are five types of materials that dental crowns can be made from, which include:
- Stainless steel
- Metallic materials
- Porcelain fused to metals
- All resin make
- All ceramic make
Stainless steel crowns are used on a temporary basis. The crown will cover the whole tooth to keep it from decaying and breaking down any further. Usually, stainless steel crowns are used in repairing children’s teeth. Metallic crowns, on the other hand, tend to last the longest and withstand typical wear-and-tear the most. The metals used are usually gold or platinum.
Porcelain-fused-to-metal dental crowns can actually be matched to the same color of your teeth. However, it is important to note that this type of dental crown, especially its porcelain part, can be more easily chipped. Nonetheless, these dental crowns look the most like natural teeth. As such, these may be a good choice for fixing your front or back teeth.
If you are looking for a more affordable option, then you’ll want to go with an all-resin make for your dental crown. These are less expensive, but are more likely to wear down faster. All-resin crowns are also more at risk of breakage than porcelain-fused-to-metal dental crowns.
All-ceramic dental crowns, on the other hand, provide the best color match to your natural teeth among all of the crowns available. Additionally, it is useful to choose all-ceramic or all-porcelain dental crowns if you have metal allergies.
When you choose to get a crown installed over your tooth, you’ll need to visit the dentist two times. During the first visit, your tooth is inspected and prepared. On the second visit, the permanent dental crown is placed on top of the tooth. Next time your tooth is cracked, misshapen, or broken, you’ll want to speak with your dentist about getting a dental crown.