Like hard-wearing tooth-shaped caps, crowns protect damaged, broken or cracked teeth from the forces we exert on them during chewing.
Custom-made to fit around your damaged tooth, dental crowns are particularly useful in cases where not much tooth structure remains.
And thanks to advances in dental technology, the new tooth-coloured porcelain crowns don’t just protect your teeth, but blend in perfectly with your smile as well.
The different types of dental crowns
Crowns come in different materials, all of which have pros & cons. The main three are:
▸ Gold dental crowns:
The strongest of the three, gold crowns are often used for teeth that are out of view as they don’t blend in with existing teeth.
▸ Metal ceramic dental crowns:
With a metal alloy gold core and an aesthetically pleasing porcelain shell, this type of crown can be used for teeth that are in view.
▸ Tooth coloured porcelain dental crowns:
The latest porcelain crowns let light partially filter through, which makes them look just like your other teeth. With the absence of a metal core on the inside, the tell-tale grey lines that are usually seen with the older metal ceramic crowns are no longer there.
Why use dental crowns?
There are many reasons for crowning a tooth, but the main goal is always to protect it from chewing forces. Because a considerable portion of the tooth needs to be removed before placing a crown, this treatment is rarely used for aesthetic purposes alone. Crowns can be placed when:
- Teeth are heavily decayed, fractured or eroded
- Teeth feature a large cavity
- A dental implant needs covering
- Root canal treatment has taken place.
The fitting of dental crowns
Dental crowns can usually be fitted in just two appointments:
▸ Appointment 1:
- We discuss your treatment options and make sure a crown is the best option for you
- Your tooth is prepared by cleaning it and removing any decay
- Using local anaesthesia, we re-shape the tooth to ensure it can accommodate the crown
- We take a mould of the tooth using dental putty, which our in-house lab will use to create your new crown
- We fit a temporary crown so you can use your tooth normally.
▸ Appointment 2:
- The temporary crown is removed
- We check your new crown has a good fit and colour-match
- We roughen the surface of your tooth to accommodate the new crown
- If the results are good, we cement your new crown firmly into place and fix your smile!
Ask questions & arrange appointments...
Why choose us?
UK Dentist of the Year
We’ve been independently voted the UK’s best dentist at The Dental Awards.
We are 5-star rated
Our customers love our work! They’ve rated us 5 stars on Google.
Embarrassing Bodies dentist
Dr Zaki Kanaan is one of the dentists on the Channel 4 show Embarrassing Bodies.