Porcelain Crowns

Porcelain crowns are a popular form of treatment for patients with damaged, cracked or broken down teeth.

They strengthen your existing damaged tooth in order to preserve its functionality and they are also extremely versatile.

Crowns are designed to perfectly mimic natural tooth colour, so not only will your crown look exactly like the rest of your natural teeth, but it will also perform exactly like your natural tooth would. The restoration is precision-crafted in a dental laboratory, so it will take two appointments to restore your tooth with a porcelain crown.

The Procedure

On your first visit, we numb the area to make you comfortable. Using the handpiece, we remove any decay and shape the tooth so it will securely hold the crown. Next, we take an impression of your teeth. The dental lab uses this impression to make an accurate model of your mouth; then, they use the model to create a crown that exactly fits your tooth and bite. In the meantime, we often place a temporary crown to protect your tooth.

On your next visit, we remove the temporary crown and try your new porcelain crown. We check the fit, and when everything is right, we bond or cement the crown in place.

Reasons for crowning teeth

• If your tooth has undergone significant decay and there is not enough tooth structure remaining to support a filling or an inlay and maintain functionality.
• If a large portion of your tooth has fractured and cannot be built up using the traditional composite bonding procedure.
• Following a root canal treatment or a dental implant, a crown is often needed to protect and strengthen the tooth.
• If you have a large cavity and opt for the added support, a crown offered to the tooth.
• If you grind your teeth and have a poor diet, acid erosion may reduce your teeth to a point where the only option available is to crown them.
• To improve the aesthetics of your smile – e.g. to align crowding or protruding teeth, close gaps and lighten tooth colour.