Have an old, worn out couch that’s super comfy but you get totally embarrassed of how it looks if you have friends or family over? If so, you could put a slipcover over it and it’d look as good as new.
Or maybe your cell phone is looking a bit beat up and you decide get a protective case to spruce it up and give it some protection.
Along those lines, if you have a tooth that’s broken, discolored or otherwise isn’t looking so hot, a dental crown can have your smile looking it’s very best.
What Are Dental Crown?
And that’s basically what a dental crown is. A covering that goes over a tooth that’s seen better days.
The goal of a dental crown is to make your tooth look great again. A crown does this by restoring a tooth’s size and shape to improve its appearance. It can also add strength to a tooth that has been weakened for whatever reason.
Dental crowns can also be used to cover a dental implant.
A Permanent Tooth Repair Option
A dental crown is a permanent option that gets cemented to the existing tooth or implant (using a special dental cement that’s safe for your mouth, NOT the kind of cement you’d use to pave your driveway!).
Once in place, a dental crown pretty much becomes the new outer surface of your tooth. How it looks and how strong it is depends on the material of the crown.
Dental Crown Materials
All metal crowns last the longest and are the strongest option but may not look the best.
Porcelain fused to metal are popular because they tend to look more realistic yet still are very strong.
All porcelain or all ceramic crowns also look realistic but aren’t as strong as the above options.
Then there’s all resin crowns which are the weakest of all the options and also the least expensive.
Find Cosmetic Dentists Near You That Specialize in Dental Crowns
To learn more about crowns, see the Related Articles section below.