A dental crown is a cap placed over a damaged tooth, restoring its shape, size, and strength while enhancing appearance.
Dental crowns encase the entire visible portion of the affected tooth, offering enhanced strength, durability, and stability.
he original tooth, or natural dental crown, comprises white enamel on its outer surface and yellow dentin underneath. In contrast, an artificial dental crown, often referred to as a “cap,” replaces missing or damaged tooth structure using tooth-colored materials like porcelain or metals such as gold.
Various factors like teeth grinding, an improper bite, aging, existing fillings, and tooth decay can contribute to the deterioration, cracking, or breakage of teeth. Dental crowns encase the entire visible portion of the affected tooth, offering enhanced strength, durability, and stability.
There are three primary types of dental crowns:
- All-Porcelain: These crowns are highly aesthetic and are typically used for front teeth where extreme strength is not a primary concern.
- Porcelain Fused to Metal (e.g., gold): Offering a natural appearance, these crowns have a metal substructure covered with porcelain. However, the presence of metal can affect the translucency of natural teeth and may result in a visible line near the gumline as it recedes with age.
- Metal (e.g., gold): In cases where the appearance of the crown is less important, gold crowns provide exceptional durability and precise fit. They are an excellent choice when tooth-colored aesthetics are not a priority.
While porcelain crowns can chip, gold crowns do not pose such a risk, making them highly resilient.
