As we age, many of us find ourselves with teeth that are no longer structurally sound. Root canals, lost fillings, decay below a filling, chipping and cracking of the enamel are all things that can lead to large scale defects in a tooth's surface. A dental crown is needed when a tooth is badly broken down - either a cusp has broken off, or there are large old fillings or a large portion of decay. A filling is used to fill a small portion of the tooth - a crown when the tooth has extensive damage. There are basically two types of crowns, those all porcelain/ceramic (metal free) crowns and porcelain fused to metal crowns.

The Dental Crown Procedure
Before the dental crown can be placed on the tooth, our dentist will file the tooth down to make room for your crown. Then an impression of the tooth and the surrounding teeth will be made. While the dental crown is being created, a temporary acrylic crown will be placed on the tooth. When the permanent dental crown is ready, the temporary crown is replaced during a separate visit. Dental crowns can last anywhere from averagely 10 to 20 years.