What Are Dental Crowns?
A dental crown, also known as a single-tooth crown, is a cap that fits firmly over an entire tooth.
Closely resembling a natural tooth, a permanent crown can be used for cosmetic reasons to restore a smile. Apart from their aesthetic appearance benefits, they also provide strength and support to the teeth underneath that may be broken or have suffered decay.
Dental crowns are a tried-and-tested way of restoring the beauty of your smile, providing a natural-looking solution to broken or otherwise imperfect teeth. They are commonly placed after a root canal to protect and strengthen the tooth.
Contact Our Perth Dentists or Book an Appointment Online For Dental Crown Services in Leederville.
The Benefits of Dental Crowns
Your dentist will be able to advise you if a dental crown is needed. However, dental crowns are used as dental treatments for a variety of issues including:
Severely discoloured teeth
Chipped or broken teeth
To protect a weak tooth from tooth decay
To reinforce a tooth that might have been worn down
To enhance the look of your teeth
Post root canal treatment to help prevent further damage to the compromised tooth
As a crown is designed to fit over your existing natural teeth, a dental crown is not a suitable option to replace missing teeth like a dental implant would be.
The Different Types of Dental Crowns
Dental crowns are made from a variety of materials so you would have likely heard of different types of dental crowns.
There are three basic types of dental crowns – full porcelain or zirconium crowns, porcelain crowns that are fused to metal, and metal (usually gold).
At Cambridge City Dental, we always use the highest quality materials for our patients.
Full Porcelain
Full porcelain crowns have a very natural appearance and are perfect for front teeth. The colour mimics the shades of your natural teeth where it is very difficult to distinguish between the natural tooth and the crown itself.
Full porcelain crowns satisfy the needs of patients with metal sensitivities. Full porcelain crowns may be made utilising CEREC® technology or may be fabricated from zirconia fused with a layering of porcelain colours.
Porcelain Fused to Metal
Porcelain fused to metal crowns provide the best of both worlds – the natural look of porcelain with the strength of metal.
These types of crowns have a metal substructure. An opaque layer is fused to the metal framework prior to application. As such, it is difficult to re-create the translucency of natural teeth.
In most instances, however, porcelain fused to metal crowns can be highly aesthetic and are stronger than full porcelain crowns.
Metal (Gold) Crowns
Metal crowns are usually used in areas of the mouth that are not so visible, such as out of sight molars.
The most common type of metal crowns are gold. The benefits of using metal crowns are that they have an excellent adaptation to the tooth, are long-lasting and do not chip.
Gold or metal crowns are also used in cases where occlusal (bite) problems exist as they can withstand far greater forces and are softer to bite on.
Same Day Dental Crowns With CEREC® Technology
Dental crowns typically require two appointments, one to prepare the crown and one to have the permanent crown installed. Nowadays, we can offer one-visit crowns, meaning you can have a dental crown fitted with one session in the dentist’s chair.
CEREC® dental crowns are custom-made dental restorations that are created using advanced computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technology. CEREC stands for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics, and it enables dentists to design, fabricate, and place crowns in a single appointment, often in just a matter of hours.
The main advantage of offering CEREC® is patients can receive a custom-fitted crown in one appointment instead of two. CEREC® dental crowns also offer both aesthetic appeal and durability, as they are crafted from high-quality ceramic materials that closely mimic natural tooth enamel, providing a lifelike appearance, while also being known for their strength and long-lasting results.
Book an appointment with one of our dentists to see if a CEREC crown is a suitable option for you.
What to Expect During a Dental Crown Procedure
Step 1: Dental Crown Preparation
Traditional crown restorations take several appointments, but with advances in dental technology such as CEREC® CAD/CAM dental equipment, a dental crown restoration can now be completed in a single appointment. When you go ahead with a crown preparation, your dentist may take an x-ray to look at the root of your tooth and surrounding bone. The site is cleaned and a layer is removed from your existing tooth in preparation for the new dental crown.
Step 2: Dental Crown Impressions
The second step involves creating an optical impression using an advanced oral scanner. Moulding compounds are not necessary because the 3D scan replaces the physical impression required in traditional procedures. The scan is then sent to a milling machine which carves your new crown from a small block of ceramic. Your tooth crown will be meticulously created, matching shape and colour to ensure a natural look. We will give you a temporary tooth crown to fit over your prepped tooth until your next appointment.
Step 3: Dental Crown Fitting
Next comes the dental crown fitting. Your custom-made tooth crown will be cemented firmly in place, providing you with a restored and natural-looking smile. Your new dental crown is then attached to the tooth similar to how lego bricks click together. The result is an imperceptible dental crown that blends with your natural teeth in a treatment time of only one or two hours.
Dental Crown Cost
There is a lot of state-of-the-art equipment and technology involved in creating a new dental crown, especially same-day crowns using CEREC® technology. As a result, dental crown procedures are not the cheapest of dental procedures. However, at Cambridge City Dental we accept all private health funds. Therefore, you may be eligible for rebates depending on your policy.
Caring For Your Dental Crown
Your dentist will give you a full rundown on aftercare for your newly crowned tooth. In most instances, for a permanent crown, you’ll need to avoid chewing or biting sticky or hard foods on your new dental crown for a few days after the procedure. After that, you’ll be able to start treating your dental crown like a natural tooth! If you had a temporary crown fitted, extra care will be required as it is not designed to last as long as a permanent crown.
Have Dental Crowns Been Recommended to You? Learn More About Crowns With Cambridge City Dental
Whether you’ve got an existing dental crown that is damaged or have had a new dental crown recommended to restore your existing tooth, the dentists at Cambridge City Dental are here to help. We’ve helped a number of patients achieve healthier, enhanced smiles with our expertly crafted CEREC® crowns, and we're committed to providing you with the same exceptional care and results. Don't hesitate to book an appointment with one of our dentists to find out more.
Frequently Asked Questions
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You may have come across the term temporary crown. The main difference between permanent crowns and temporary crowns is in the name. They are mainly used in between appointments whilst waiting to have the temporary crown installed. Temporary crowns are typically made of either metal or plastic and are only designed to last a few weeks at most.
A permanent crown on the other hand is made from much stronger materials such as gold, ceramic, and porcelain. Permanent crowns can often get up to 15 years of use before needing replacement!
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The durability of dental crowns depends on what materials the crown is made from, the patient’s dental hygiene habits, and more. We’ve seen many patients with crowns for up to 20 years before requiring a replacement.
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Dental crowns are a way of saving and protecting a tooth that is broken or decayed, avoiding the hassle of removing it completely. Ceramic dental crowns provide a very natural-looking solution to enhancing your smile, and covering up imperfections. Providing that you maintain good oral hygiene, dental crowns can last for many years.
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Dental crowns are perfect as a solution to a broken tooth or a tooth that has decayed so much that it won’t hold a tooth filling. A dental crown can cover up teeth with stains or other imperfections such as chips or protect a weak tooth from breaking or further damage. They are also used in other dental procedures such as dental implants.
Want to Know More About Our Dental Crowns Services in Leederville?
Would you like to know more about how our experienced Perth dentists can help restore your smile and confidence?
The team at Cambridge City Dental offer services in all areas of dentistry including general dentistry, restorative dentistry and cosmetic dentistry. With over 30 years of experience, our mission is to help transform your smile through natural-looking dentistry solutions.
Whether you are specifically after a one visit CEREC crown or want to learn more about other cosmetic dental treatments to get the smile you’ve always wanted, get in touch with our team or book an appointment online today!
Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.