Dental Crown Treatment
Occasionally, some teeth may be affected so that only a portion of them remains. On other occasions it has even been necessary to extract them. In the case of large damaged structures or significant tooth loss , it is possible to restore the aesthetics of the smile by placing dental caps or crowns.
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What are dental crowns?
Dental crowns are prostheses or fixed caps that are placed on a tooth to be restored, or on a titanium implant. This cover covers the entire surface of the tooth, so it behaves like a natural tooth, thus restoring the chewing function, the original shape as well as the aesthetics. In fact, dental crowns can also have an aesthetic function and can be used to restore the natural appearance of discoloured or stained teeth with increased wear.
In which cases are dental crowns used?
They are used to reinforce damaged teeth, restoring their shape and functionality after a conservative dentistry procedure such as a root canal that has led to the removal of a large decayed portion of the tooth. Or a large fracture or even severe tooth wear that is causing significant tooth sensitivity. In these cases, dental crowns help to protect and reinforce the tooth that has been damaged.
Dental crowns are also used to join teeth together (when they move or are separated), or to prevent cracked teeth from breaking. The union of several crowns is called a bridge or pontic and is used to replace missing teeth or to restore a natural and beautiful smile, but more importantly, it facilitates the chewing function by supporting the loads and forces of chewing.
Veneers are also necessary for dental implant treatment. Crowns on titanium implants are one of the best options for missing teeth, as they not only offer better aesthetics, but also greater durability and better functionality. In this case, the crown or sleeve is designed in its entirety to replace the lost tooth and to be placed on the implant.
On the other hand, if the trauma to the tooth is of a smaller volume, i.e. if, as a result of caries or a fracture, the tooth must be restored but this restoration does not have a considerable volume, inlays can be made in the molars, or reconstruction can be carried out in the front teeth. The objective, in these cases, is to keep the tooth in the mouth and avoid extraction, which should be the last resort. Although, as we have said, a dental crown or cap is also placed on dental implants.
Phases of crown placement
The fitting of dental crowns depends on the type of treatment to be performed. In other words, the placement procedure is modified to achieve specific goals. In the case of dental implant placement, the procedure has a number of very different preliminary steps. If the objective is the restoration of a tooth that has been affected by caries but still retains part of the original tooth, the placement would consist of
The remaining tooth structure must be polished before the dental crowns can be fitted. In this first session, measurements are also taken, for which we use an intraoral scanner that allows us to digitise part of the process and obtain a very precise mould for the tooth. This is sent to the laboratory for the crown to be made, and while a provisional crown is being placed.
On the day the dental crown is placed, the first step is the application of local anaesthesia, so that the patient does not feel any discomfort during the procedure. If the patient suffers considerable stress or fear of the treatment to be carried out, it is possible to offer a conscious sedation technique, which will allow the patient to be awake and calm at the same time.
Firstly, the crown is tried on the tooth to be restored, to check that it fits correctly, although as we have mentioned, 3D technology allows us to be precise when designing these custom-made caps, so they fit perfectly. Then, the bonding starts with acid etching, continues with the placement of the adhesive and ends with the cementation of the crown.
We usually make these dental crowns with zirconium, a translucent material that is as strong as metal but much more aesthetic. Zirconium allows us to restore a natural colour to the teeth. In addition, we have recently incorporated monolithic zirconium and translucent zirconium, which allows us to make the crown of the tooth from a single structure, is more translucent than the original zirconium and is very resistant.
Maintenance of dental crowns
It is important to follow the recommendations of the specialist depending on the rehabilitation treatment applied, which will be different for each patient. It is also important to bear in mind that some dental crowns may have deteriorated over time, especially those made of less resistant materials.
In these cases, as well as in those cases where it is simply desired to replace less aesthetic crowns made of other materials, patients still have the possibility of exchanging their crowns for new, stronger and more aesthetic ones such as zirconia crowns.