Dental Crowns
Crown Restorations
Dental crowns have been an important part of dental health care for centuries, and over time, they’ve become impressively lifelike in both appearance and function. Named after the top part of your tooth, also called a crown, the dental restoration is designed to be bonded completely over a severely cracked, worn down, or broken tooth. While your tooth structure may not heal or grow back, a dental crown can protect it from further damage by shielding it from your bite’s pressure. With the support of a custom-made dental crown, you can retain a tooth that has been compromised instead of extracting it or risking its loss. In some cases, Dr. Lerner may place a custom dental crown on top of a dental implant to completely replace a tooth lost or extracted tooth.
What Is a Dental Crown?
A dental crown serves several important purposes in restoring and improving your smile. For instance, in addition to protecting your tooth, it must also help your bite maintain proper balance and function. For optimal results, your dental crown will be designed and crafted using advanced, highly precise digital imaging technology. The exact size and shape of your restoration will mimic the ideal size and shape of your natural tooth to ensure that your bite still distributes pressure evenly.
Choosing the Right Dental Crown
To accommodate every patient’s unique needs and preferences, Dr. Lerner offers dental crowns made from a wide variety of materials. For instance, molars and pre-molars situated in the back of your mouth are subject to the most intense pressure of your bite. Therefore, metal or porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) may be the most suitable dental crowns. For more visible teeth at the front of your smile, Dr. Lerner may suggest an all porcelain or zirconia crown that closely mimics the color, shade, texture, and luminescence of your healthy, natural teeth.
The Benefits of a Dental Crown
Dental crowns have evolved significantly over time to address a wide variety of dental concerns, but their main purpose remains to help you preserve as much of your natural tooth structure as possible. Placing a dental crown over a cracked, fractured, or broken tooth allows you to achieve that goal, and benefits your long-term oral health in numerous ways, including:
- Reduced risks of further tooth damage and possible tooth loss.
- Reduced dental health costs by avoiding the need to extract and replace your tooth.
- Improve confidence in a healthier, stronger tooth.
- Improved comfort while biting and chewing your food.