Dental crowns are the easiest way to restore damaged teeth. Dental crowns can be made of porcelain, metal or a combination of the two. Dental crowns have an aesthetic and a protective function. They are in effect a sort of cap which is inserted on the top of your damaged teeth and can be shaped and coloured just like your real teeth, to ensure a natural look. With good dental hygiene, dental crowns will protect your teeth for 10-15 years on average!
What Types of Crown Materials Are Available?
Permanent crowns are available in three varieties they can be made from all metal or ceramic fused to a metal core, or they can be all ceramic. Let's look at the advantages of each type.
Compared to the other two types, metal crowns need less removal of the tooth structure. They are able to withstand biting and all other forces a lot better than other crowns. Furthermore, they don't chip or break as often as other types of crowns. Their main drawback is the metallic colour. Because of this, metallic crowns are a good choice in case of molars which are usually visible.
Porcelain fused to metal (usually inert zirconium) dental crowns can be colour matched to your natural teeth. These crowns very closely approximate the appearance of real teeth. However, just like your real tooth enamel, the porcelain part of the crown can chip or break, and the metal part can occasionally be visible as a grey line at the join with the gum.
All ceramic or all porcelain dental crowns provide the best natural colour match compared to any other crown type and may be more suitable for people with metal allergies. They are not as strong as porcelain fused to metal crowns and need to be looked after in exactly the same way as your natural teeth.
Your dentist can help you choose the one which suits you the best, depending on your dental condition, budget and aesthetic preference. An X-ray is taken to show the full situation. After this it's possible to decide which crown is the most suitable for your particular circumstances
How is a crown made?
First your dentist in Budapest will grind the damaged part of your tooth and clean it under local anaesthesia. As a second step an impression of your tooth will be made and sent to a dental laboratory for the crown to be made. While your dental crown is being prepared you will need to wear a temporary dental crown to protect the tooth underneath.
The dentist will contact you once the permanent dental crown is ready to be fitted and invite you to the surgery for a second appointment. If you are happy with the dental crown the dentist will then affix it to your tooth.
