Dental crowns restore function and form to damaged or diseased teeth. Once a dental crown procedure has been completed, the end result should look just like the other teeth in your mouth. Different materials can give your dental crown a slightly different appearance. Let’s take a closer look at what do dental crowns look like.
What Are Dental Crowns?
Crowns or dental caps, as they are also known, are covers that are formed to be fitted over an existing tooth that is damaged or decayed. Crowns are used instead of dental fillings when too much surface area of the tooth is missing and it can’t support a filling.
Ceramic, porcelain fused to zirconia, porcelain, composite resin and metal are all popular materials that can be used to build a dental crown. At Dental Excellence, our patients are partial to the natural appearance and long lifespan that crowns made from ceramic and porcelain fused to zirconia offer.
Dental crowns can be used to:
- Restore function to a tooth that is chipped, cracked or broken
- Provide protection for decayed or weakened tooth
- Cover dental implants
- Support a dental bridge
- Cover up a tooth that has had root canal treatment
- Cover discoloured or misshapen teeth
So, What Do Dental Crowns Look Like?
Your dentist will shape the dental crown material to emulate the shape of your other teeth. He or she will also ensure that the colour of the restored tooth is the same.
Your dentist will remove some of the damaged tooth and prepare it, to ensure that the crown fits well in your mouth, and does not feel different to your other teeth.
Ceramic Crowns
Ceramic is a popular material choice for crowns as it offers patients a very accurate colour match. Ceramic is a long-lasting and natural-looking material for a crown.
Porcelain fused to Zirconia Crowns
Using zirconia as a material for a dental crown makes it very strong. Dental caps made from zirconia can last for a very long time. They also resemble your natural teeth very closely and they mimic the way that enamel reflects light very well.
Porcelain Crowns
Porcelain dental crowns look most similar to natural teeth because porcelain reflects light in much the same way as dental enamel. Using porcelain fused to metal will ensure that the dental crown is robust and long-lasting.
Metal Crowns
Metal crowns are very strong and long-lasting but because of their metallic appearance, patients prefer to have them fitted on back teeth and molars.
Composite Resin Crowns
Composite resin can also be colour matched to ensure it fits in with your other teeth, to create a natural restoration. It is a bit soft, however, and is more prone to chipping and breaking than other materials. Composite resin also has a comparatively shorter life span and may need to be repaired or replaced quicker than other materials.
Not only should your finished dental crown look and feel like your other teeth, but it should also work just as effectively too. Once you have had the procedure, you will be able to bite and chew with the same force as your natural teeth.
If dental crowns are being fitted as part of another dental procedure – for a bridge, dental implant or root canal, you may be fitted with a temporary crown while your jaw heals and recovers.
To find out more about “what do dental crowns look like?”, it’s best to speak to a professional: (02) 6188 7293.
