Maycroft Dental Practice
Dental Crowns
Dental crowns are tooth-shaped “covers” that are placed over a tooth — covering the tooth to restore its shape and size, strength, and/or to improve its appearance.
Why Is A Dental Crown Needed?
A dental crown may be needed in the following situations:
- To restore an already broken tooth or a tooth that has been severely worn down.
- To cover and support a tooth with a large filling when there isn’t a lot of tooth left.
- To hold a dental bridge in place.
- To cover misshapen or severely discoloured teeth.
- To cover a dental implant.
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Get the quality care and treatment that you deserve from the Wirral's leading Dental Crown Experts at Maycroft Dental Practice.
What Type of Crowns are available?
All requirements covered
Permanent crowns can be made from all metal, porcelain-fused-to-metal, all resin, or all ceramic.
There are many different types on the market, and we research to see which are most hard wearing, cosmetic, and functional.
Metal Crowns
These can be made from gold, platinum, or base-metal alloys (like cobalt-chromium and nickel-chromium alloys). They are highly resistant to wear and tear, and rarely chip or break. Because of their metallic colour, they are often used for molars and other out-of-sight teeth. baby teeth at about six, and the first baby teeth will start to fall around the same time.
Porcelain-Fused-to-Metal (PFM) Crowns
These crowns can be colour-matched to your adjacent teeth, unlike metal crowns. However, the porcelain portion of the crown can chip or break off, and there is a possibility that the metal underlying the crown’s porcelain can show through as a dark line, especially at the gum line.
All-Porcelain or All-Ceramic Crowns
These provide the best natural colour match than any other crown type and are a good choice for people with metal allergies. They are suitable for both front and back teeth.
All-Resin Crowns
These are less expensive than other crown types, but they wear down over time and are more prone to fractures compared to porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns.
Pressed Ceramic Crowns
These crowns have a hard inner core. They are made from a high-quality solid ceramic material. Pressed ceramic crowns are capped with porcelain for the best natural colour match.
Zirconia Crowns
These are made from zirconia, a very strong type of ceramic offering a superior strength while being aesthetically pleasing. Zirconia crowns require less preparation of the original tooth, conserving more of the natural tooth structure.
Stainless Steel Crowns
These are prefabricated crowns used on permanent teeth primarily as a temporary measure. They’re often used with children’s primary teeth because they’re cost-effective and can be put in place in a single visit.
Professional Service,
every step of the way
Here at Maycroft Dental Practice, we implement a step-by-step process for all Dental Crowns to ensure the best fit for both comfort and aesthetic.
What's The Process?
A tailored and bespoke process
Having a dental crown fitted is typically a multi-step process that requires at least two visits to the dentist. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of the process:
Initial Evaluation and Preparation
During your first visit, your dentist will assess the tooth to ensure it can support a crown, then start preparing it. This could involve taking X-rays to check the roots and surrounding bone.
If the tooth has been severely damaged or broken, the dentist might need to fill it in to make it large enough to properly receive the crown.
Local anesthesia is usually applied to numb the area, and then the tooth is filed down along the chewing surface and sides to make room for the crown.
If a large area of the tooth is missing (due to decay or damage), your dentist can use a filling material to “build up” the tooth to support the crown.
Impressions
After the tooth is reshaped, your dentist will use a paste or putty to make an impression (or mold) of the tooth receiving the crown. Impressions of the teeth above and below the tooth to receive the dental crown will also be made to ensure that the crown will fit into your normal bite.
These impressions are then sent to a dental lab where the crown will be custom-made. The crown usually takes two to three weeks to return from the lab.
Temporary Crown
Because it can take a while for the permanent crown to be prepared, your dentist will usually put a temporary crown on your tooth to protect it. These temporary crowns are generally made of acrylic or stainless steel and are not as durable as a permanent crown.
Placement of Permanent Crown
At your second visit, the dentist will remove your temporary crown and check the fit and color of the permanent crown. If everything looks good, a local anesthetic will be used to numb the tooth again and the new crown is permanently cemented in place.
Post-Procedure Check-up
Some dentists may schedule a follow-up visit to check on the crown, ensure it’s being kept clean, and monitor how your gum tissue is responding.
Pros & Cons of Different Crowns
Finding your perfect fit
Permanent crowns can be made from all metal, porcelain-fused-to-metal, all resin, or all ceramic.
There are many different types on the market, and we research to see which are most hard wearing, cosmetic, and functional.
Metal Crowns
Pros:
- Extremely durable, can withstand biting and chewing forces well.
- Last longer in terms of wear down.
- Requires less portion of the tooth to be removed.
Cons:
- The metallic color is the major drawback. It’s not suitable for front teeth for aesthetic reasons.
Porcelain-Fused-to-Metal (PFM) Crowns
Pros:
- Can be color matched to your existing teeth.
- A good balance between durability and aesthetics.
Cons:
- More wearing to the opposing teeth occurs with this crown type compared to metal or resin crowns.
- The porcelain part can chip or break off.
- Sometimes, the metal underlying the crown’s porcelain can show through as a dark line.
All-Porcelain or All-Ceramic Crowns
Pros:
- Best natural color match, making them an excellent choice for front teeth.
- Suitable for people with metal allergies.
Cons:
- Tend to be less durable and may wear down opposing teeth a bit more than metal or resin crowns.
- They are not as strong as metal crowns and may break or chip more easily.
All-Resin Crowns
Pros:
- They are less expensive than other crown types.
Cons:
- Wear down over time.
- More prone to fractures.
Pressed Ceramic Crowns
Pros:
- These crowns are made with a hard inner core, making them quite durable.
- The porcelain outer layer can be matched to the color of your natural teeth.
Cons:
- Can be a bit more abrasive than other types of crowns.
Zirconia Crowns
Pros:
- Extremely durable and can withstand wear and tear.
- Can be matched to the color of your teeth.
- Less tooth removal is necessary, and no metal lining at the gum is visible.
Cons:
- Can be more abrasive against opposing teeth.
Stainless Steel Crowns
Pros:
- Mostly used for children to protect primary teeth from further decay.
- Only requires one dental visit to place.
Cons:
- Not as aesthetically pleasing as crowns made from other materials.
- Typically used as a temporary measure.
Before & After
- Find us
We’re easy to find as we’re perfectly and centrally located in the heart of Moreton, Wirral.
- 172 Hoylake Rd, Moreton, Wirral CH46 8TQ
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- Register as a new patient
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Book an Appointment
Get the quality care and treatment that you deserve from the Wirral's leading Dental Experts at Maycroft Dental Practice.