Dental Crowns

Teeth can get badly damaged from accidents or even decay, but there is a way to restore a tooth so it looks like a brand new tooth again. Dental crowns sit on top of your natural tooth, and are used when a tooth filling or inlay can’t do the job.

Dental crowns can be made from a wide variety of materials, they can be either made from metal, porcelain or a combination of both. Porcelain crowns give better aesthetics and are generally used on visible teeth, completely blending in with the rest of your smile. Metallic crowns are used for additional strength, and would generally be used on the molars at the back of your mouth.

What makes Dental Crowns so versatile?

• Cost effective – Dental Crowns are much cheaper than replacing your whole tooth with a dental implant.
• Protection – Dental crowns can protect a weak tooth from decay and even protect cracked teeth from breaking further.
• Restore broken teeth – Leaving a broken tooth on its own is just going to make matters worse, dental crowns can fix this problem and look like your tooth was never broken.
• Smile transformations – Dental crowns are used in cosmetic dentistry to improve the appearance of misshapen or discoloured teeth. Some teeth cannot be whitened, even with our professional teeth whitening. Dental crowns can be used to give brand new smiles, leaving you smiling with confidence.
• Dental Implants – Replacing single teeth with a dental implant will usually be restored with a dental crown. A dental crown will fit on top of your dental implant, and look, feel and function just like a normal tooth.
• Dental bridges – Crowns can be used to hold dental bridges permanently in place, a dental prosthetic that can replace multiple teeth across a gap in your smile.

How are Dental Crowns placed?

Initially with a visit to your dentist, you will discuss the option of dental crowns, their advantages and if they are suitable for you. Dental crowns might not always be the most suitable treatment, it’s always best to consult with a dental expert like Dr Merali beforehand, as there might be better alternatives such as dental implants and cosmetic teeth whitening.

Your initial visit with the dentist will be all about examining and preparing the tooth/teeth for dental crowns. Your dentist will examine your teeth and possibly also take x-rays to get a more comprehensive look at the tooth, root and surrounding bone. If everything is OK it’s time to get your teeth prepared for the crown placement. The teeth need to be filed down along the sides and chewing surface, to make enough room for the placement of the crown.

After the tooth has been reshaped, an impression of your teeth is taken via putty, which is sent to the dental laboratory to get your new teeth professionally made. Dental technicians are the real super-stars behind dentistry, they are the ones who carefully craft your new teeth to achieve the very best aesthetic results. But whilst you wait for your new teeth, your dentist will make temporary crowns, made from acrylic, held in temporarily.

After a few weeks you’ll be back at the dentist again, ready for the fitting of your brand new crowns. Your dentist will remove your temporary crowns, and check the fit and colour of your permanent crowns. If all is good, your new crowns will be permanently fixed in place by your dentist.

Do Dental Crowns Hurt?

When dental crowns are placed, they are just like any other dental treatment and your mouth will be numbed during the procedure, at Benson Dental we take every step possible to make you feel comfortable and relaxed during the process.

After the crowns are placed they feel just like normal teeth, it might be a bit weird at first eating and speaking, but once you get used to your crowns you’ll forget that they’re even there. Dental crowns are fixed to your teeth and don’t provide any pain or discomfort at all.

How long do they last for?

How long dental crowns last for depends entirely on the patient. With the right care and attention they can last for many, many years. Underneath the crown is a real tooth, and the right care needs to be given to it, to keep it in good health. If you’re following our oral hygiene guidelines, brushing twice a day and keeping your diet in check, you should have no problem with making the most out of your dental crowns.

How much do dental crowns cost?

Please see our price list for current costs. The costs depends on the materials used in the crown. Zirconia crowns have better strength than porcelain. Emax crowns (made from lithium disilicate ceramic) have the best aesthetics. Prices are per crown and your dentist will be able to help advise on which material to go for.