Crowns

In the past, visible metal was a part of getting your teeth fixed.  No longer ....

Your teeth are made up of the root which is buried in the gum and bone, and the crown which is the visible part. You may need a new crown made if your tooth is:

• Severely decayed
• Broken-down beyond repair
• Had root canal treatment
• Or the tooth is cracked (cracked tooth syndrome)

Over time, teeth can become worn down, broken or cracked. They may have large fillings that can weaken the tooth structure or cause staining. In these cases, a crown is the best long-term option for strengthening your teeth. The crown is fabricated in out laboratory therefore it can be a new shape, or a whiter colour if you choose. Replacing broken down teeth with crowns can protect the teeth from further damage, preserve the jaws’ correct natural alignment and can increase the strength of a weakened tooth. A small amount of the tooth is removed from the top and sides. The crown is like a thimble that goes over the remaining tooth structure, surrounding it and providing structural support.

This is the procedure for placing a crown on a front tooth:

What is a crown made of?

Crowns can be made entirely of porcelain, a combination of gold and porcelain or all gold. Each crown is custom made individually by our laboratory. Placing your new crown is a straightforward procedure that takes two appointments.

Porcelain Crowns

Porcelain crowns are individually crafted by our laboratory technicians. The technician starts with a small tooth framework called a "coping" and then will layer porcelain with a small paintbrush until the structure of the tooth is formed. The technician uses a combination of different shades and colours until the crown completed. It is then fired at very high temperatures in a furnace to make it strong. This is a very complex and time-consuming process and requires years of experience to get it "just right". All ceramic crowns are hard and durable providing strong support. Because there is no metal involved, ceramic crowns are more aesthetic in appearance, giving them a much more natural look.

Porcelain Fused To Metal Crowns

"Porcelain fused to metal" crowns are made with porcelain and metal (usually gold). The metal is fabricated into a thin metal coping (thimble-like cap) which forms the substructure of the crown. This metal substructure is what provides the high strength of the crown. The porcelain is then bonded to the metal substructure to match the shape and colour of your natural teeth. The metal and porcelain is baked at high temperatures fusing the porcelain to the metal.

Gold Crowns

Gold crowns are made a high gold alloy. In some cases (on your back teeth only) we may recommend an all-gold crown because of the unique properties of gold. Gold is highly biocompatible and strong. It also tends to wear at the same rate as natural teeth, so it won’t impact on the teeth around it.