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Dental Crown restores strength and appearance of your teeth.(Click to view video about Dental Crowns) What Are Crowns? A dental crown is a restoration that covers, or "caps," a tooth to restore it to its normal shape and size, strengthening and improving the appearance of a tooth. Crowns are necessary when a tooth is generally broken down and fillings won't solve the problem. If a tooth is cracked, a crown holds the tooth together to seal the cracks so the damage doesn't get worse. Crowns are also used to support a large filling when there isn't enough of the tooth remaining, attach a bridge, protect weak teeth from fracturing, restore fractured teeth, or cover badly shaped or discolored teeth.
How is a crown placed? To prepare the tooth for a crown, it is reduced so the crown can fit over it. An impression of teeth and gums is made and sent to the lab for the crown fabrication. A temporary crown is fitted over the tooth until the permanent crown is made. On the next visit, the dentist removes the temporary crown and cements the permanent crown onto the tooth. Will it look natural? Yes. The dentist's main goal is to create crowns that look like natural teeth. That is why dentists take an impression. To achieve a certain look, a number of factors are considered, such as the color, bite, shape, and length of your natural teeth. Any one of these factors alone can affect your appearance. If you have a certain cosmetic look in mind for your crown, discuss it with your dentist at your initial visit. When the procedure is complete, your teeth will not only be stronger, but they may be more attractive. Why crowns and not veneers? Crowns require more tooth structure removal, hence, they cover more of the tooth than veneers. Crowns are stationary and are customarily indicated for teeth that have sustained significant loss of structure, or to replace missing teeth. Crowns may be placed on natural teeth or dental implants. What is the difference between a cap and a crown? There is no difference between a cap and a crown. How long do crowns last? Crowns should last approximately 5-8 years. However, with good oral hygiene and supervision most crowns will last for a much longer period of time. Some damaging habits like grinding your teeth, chewing ice, or fingernail biting may cause this period of time to decrease significantly. How should I take care of my crowns? To prevent damaging or fracturing the crowns, avoid chewing hard foods, ice or other hard objects. You also want to avoid teeth grinding. Besides visiting your dentist and brushing twice a day, cleaning between your teeth is vital with crowns. Floss or interdental cleaners (specially shaped brushes and sticks) are important tools to remove plaque from the crown area where the gum meets the tooth. Plaque in that area can cause dental decay and gum disease.
The following are some of the crowns that are available: All Gold Crowns
A gold crown has some very distinct characteristics that make it the best choice. A well-cast gold crown fits considerably better then other materials; especially porcelain. Because it fits better, it lasts longer! The bacteria we all have in our mouths have less access to the micro-margins and therefore the inevitable decay takes longer to happen. Gold never fractures like porcelain can. Gold crowns require much less sacrifice of tooth structure and; consequently, there is more tooth left. If you are in the market for a crown, the tooth is already weak. Think about it. If the tooth is weak and needs a crown, why would you want to whittle down more of a weak tooth before putting a protective covering on it? Did you know that porcelain abrades the opposing teeth at a rate of 20 times that of natural teeth. Gold doesn't do this and is as gentle to the opposing teeth as your own natural ones. Over the long haul this can prevent other significant problems; including back of bite collapse and TMJ problems. Porcelain Crowns 
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