A crown, as its name suggests, replaces the outer surface of the tooth, restoring its masticatory ability and aesthetic appearance. It is most often used when – after removal of the decayed dental structure – the intact dental structure is not enough, sufficient to permanently support the filling. In this case, it is a much safer solution to complete the remaining dental structure and then, using a crown, to unify the intact and the completed part into a single unit against the masticatory force.
If there is an edentulous area between the existing, remaining teeth, a crown alone is not sufficient to restore it. In this case, depending on the amount and location of the remaining teeth, a fixed prosthetic restoration is necessary. This consists of crowns anchored on the teeth bordering the edentulous area and one or more artificial teeth supported by them to fill the gap. This is called a fixed partial denture or bridge for short.
It may be necessary to create a crown or bridge in the following cases:
When the crown of a tooth is significantly destroyed and (new) fillings could no longer effectively restore the tooth.
A crown is also recommended in the case of an endodontically treated tooth. Both functionally and aesthetically, it is a great help, especially if we also have to create a pin, because practically only the dental root of the tooth remains. The procedure is similar in the case of implants.
In the case of worn, misaligned, ectopic or broken teeth.
It can retain a partial denture, for example, or fill, bridge a gap.
The crown preparation process (after consultation and treatment plan):
– Preparation of the tooth (teeth) in question
– Impression-taking
– A temporary crown/bridge is placed on the prepared tooth (teeth)
– Crown preparation in the laboratory
– Preliminary trial fits (framework trial fits, trial-fits before glazing)
– Crown cementation