Dental Crowns

A dental crown may be needed in the following situations:

1. To protect a weak tooth (from decay) from breaking or to hold together parts of a cracked tooth.
2. To restore an already broken tooth or a tooth that has been severely worn down.
3. To cover and support a tooth with a large filling when there isn’t a lot of ‘natural’ tooth left.
4. To hold a dental bridge in place.
5. To cover misshaped or severely discolored teeth, to make more aesthetically pleasing.
6. To cover a dental implant.
7. To make a cosmetic modification, such as shape and size of tooth (teeth).

For children, a crown may be used on primary (baby) teeth in order to:

1. Save a tooth that has been so damaged by decay that it can’t support a filling.
2. Protect the teeth of a child at high risk for tooth decay, especially when a child has difficulty keeping up with daily oral hygiene.
3. Decrease the frequency of sedation and general anesthesia for children unable because of age, behavior, or medical history to fully cooperate with the requirements of proper dental care.
4. To protect a tooth that has had a Pulpotomy (baby root canal).

What types of Crowns are available?

There are two main categories of crowns available today, traditional and computer aided.

• Traditional
• CEREC Computer Aided