Sometimes a tooth is badly broken down, and there is just not enough tooth structure remaining for a filling to stay in place. In that circumstance it is necessary to put a crown on the tooth.

A dental crown ( also called a cap) is a tooth made in the dental laboratory which protects the tooth from further breakdown or decay.  All the decay is removed from the tooth, and, if necessary, a material is placed in the remaining tooth to provide adequate tooth structure to act as the foundation of the crown. The tooth is then reduced, both in height and in circumference, so that there is sufficient room for the new crown to be placed.

There are several different types of crowns, using a variety of materials.  The only materials that are used in our practice are: porcelain to high noble metal ( metal is greater than 56% gold),  Captek(R) which is a brand name of porcelain fused to 24 caret gold, and all ceramic. All three have their place, but we have found that the all ceramic crowns have the beauty and natural appearance of porcelain combined with the strength of metal. While it is not appropriate in all situations, it is rapidly becoming the restoration of choice in our practice.

If one or more teeth are missing, one very good way to replace the missing teeth is with a fixed bridge.  The teeth on either side of the space is prepared for a crown,  as described above. Then the laboratory will construct a bridge, with the artificial tooth filling the space where the missing tooth was.  Again, the choice of materials are as above, but there are some restrictions on the use of both the Captek (R) and the all ceramic. These are determined on a case by case basis.

Before & After photos of an all ceramic restoration. All teeth were restored with all ceramic materials. No metal was used.
To see a larger version, click on the individual pictures.

In all cases, the final crown or bridge will not be inserted unless and until our patients are satisfied with the results.
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