Dental crown

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A dental crown is a dental prosthesis in which an artificial crown, like a cap, is placed over the defective tooth. It is used when the tooth is so destroyed that it can no longer be saved with a tooth filling. Tooth crowns are made of metal, ceramic or plastic, for example. Read everything you need to know about the dental crown, when it is used and what the risks are.

What is a tooth crown?

A dental crown is an artificial denture that is used on teeth that have been severely damaged (due to tooth decay or a fall). The dentist calls the insertion of the tooth crown crowning.

Not only the dentures are called "crowns" or "tooth crowns", but also that part of a natural tooth that protrudes from the gums.

Dental crown: types

Dental crowns are divided into full crowns and partial crowns. The full crown encompasses the tooth completely. A partial crown, on the other hand, only covers part of the tooth, for example the chewing surface.

In addition to (temporary) dental crowns used for a limited period of time, there is also a crown used as a permanent dental prosthesis:

Dental and orthodontic practices can make a temporary tooth crown directly. It serves as a temporary solution for the patient until he receives the final dentures. A permanent tooth crown is carefully adapted to the patient's individual teeth and manufactured in special dental laboratories.

Tooth crown: material

Metals, ceramics or plastics are used as tooth crown material:

Metal crowns are usually made of gold or other metal alloys. They are particularly stable and only wear out very slowly. The disadvantage is the eye-catching color, so that many patients only choose a metal variant for crowns for molars. An alternative are dental crowns made of metal, which are coated with ceramic in the corresponding tooth color, so-called veneer crowns.

Dental crowns made of plastic are cheaper, but they wear out more easily and are more likely to be damaged than dental crowns made of metal.

Dental crowns made of ceramic offer an attractive aesthetic result: They hardly differ in their color from a natural tooth and are particularly suitable for the visible front teeth.

When do you need a dental crown?

If a tooth is so destroyed by an accident or diseases such as caries that it can no longer be repaired with a tooth filling, the doctor places a dental crown on the destroyed tooth. Common findings that lead to crowning are:

• lack of hard tooth substance
• numerous dental fillings
• missing support zones of the tooth
• Correction of misaligned teeth
• missing teeth
• loose teeth
• discolored teeth

When using a dental prosthesis, too, dental crowns are often used so that the prosthesis can be anchored there. All upcoming pretreatments such as a gum treatment should be completed before the crowning.

A tooth crown is not suitable for teeth with a dead tooth nerve or for teeth that are severely tilted.

What do you do when attaching a dental crown?

Several treatment steps are necessary before the (permanent) crown is actually inserted.

Preliminary examination

Before the dentist makes the crown, he examines the tooth root and, if necessary, carries out preliminary treatment. He tests the functionality of the tooth nerve by spraying the tooth with a cold spray. If the patient feels cold pain in the tooth, the tooth nerve is intact.

Since an X-ray examination is always associated with a certain radiation exposure, it is only carried out in exceptional cases.

Pretreatment of the tooth

The doctor grinds the tooth under local anesthesia until it offers an optimal contact surface for the crown. To dissipate the frictional heat and avoid burns, the tooth is cooled with water.

Determination of the individual crown shape

So that the crown does not interfere with chewing later, it is precisely adapted to the patient's individual bite. To do this, the patient bites a bite guard with impression material (mostly silicone-based). The material is usually cured within a few minutes. The dentist then removes the splint with the dental impression. In addition, an impression is made on a wax plate. A dental technician uses both impressions to produce a precisely fitting crown in the laboratory.

What are the risks of a dental crown?

The crowning is a routine procedure. However, complications cannot be ruled out, for example:

• Tooth or gum infections
• Injuries to nerves
• Inflammation of the tooth nerve (pulpitis)
• Bleeding
• Scarring of the gums

The following complications are possible after inserting a tooth crown:

• Damage to the tooth crown (it may have to be replaced)
• Loosening or falling out of the tooth crown
• allergic reactions or intolerance to the crown material
• unsatisfactory aesthetic result, for example due to a dark, visible edge of the tooth crown
• Pain on hot or cold stimuli (ice cream, cold drinks, warm dishes)
• Hypersensitivity to biting

What do I have to consider with a tooth crown?

Until you have got used to your new bite feeling, the tooth crown will still feel a little unfamiliar. However, if after a few days you still feel pressure or pain while chewing, your dentist should check the crown.

A provisional tooth crown is made of plastic that cannot be stressed and is not perfectly adapted to the teeth. If you wear one, you should therefore avoid sticky foods such as caramels or chewing gum until you get the final crown.These can stick to the tooth crown while chewing and loosen it. Food such as hard bread or raw carrots are also unsuitable during this time.

Careful, regular oral hygiene is essential for the longest possible service life of the tooth crown. It is therefore best to brush your teeth after every meal, but at least twice a day, and use dental floss every day.

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