Dental Crowns

What are they used for?

Crowns are used in cosmetic dentistry to cover teeth that are damaged, broken, devitalized (pulpless tooth) or severely decayed and whose structure would not be strong enough to support a new filling or a dental veneer. Crowns can solidify and embellish these teeth, especially when several of their surfaces have to be rebuilt. The artificial crown can be seen as some kind of a cap that is cemented over a natural tooth.

They are appropriate if it is still possible to save the damaged tooth, when the dental pulp is unharmed and when a root canal can be considered. The tooth root must still be viable in order to proceed with the installation of a crown.

It is sometimes necessary to make and install a post that is anchored in the tooth root before we can install a crown. A post is also required when the natural tooth structure is destroyed after a root canal, as it is the only way to ensure a good support for the crown.

Just like dental veneers, artificial crowns can also fix several minor dental imperfections. They are used in several cases:

• The restoration of decayed or broken teeth: crowns have the ability to cover completely a damaged tooth, unlike the veneers that cover only the front of a tooth.
• The replacement of teeth that have changed colour over time, of devitalized teeth (after a root canal treatment), of teeth with important fillings or deformed teeth;
• The improvement of the smile appearance by correcting the colour, shape and function of teeth.