DENTAL CROWNS LA HABRA & SANTA ANA

Dental crowns are ‘caps’ resembling the shape of a tooth. They are placed on a tooth for different reasons including restoring its size and shape, improving its appearance or for additional strength. The dentists at Smooth Dental & Orthodontics are experienced in all aspects of crowns and produce some of the best dental crowns La Habra & Santa Ana have to offer.

As mentioned earlier, crowns are used for entirely covering or capping a tooth that suffered damage due to various reasons. Crowns are also sometimes placed on implant surfaces for providing a shape and function similar to a natural tooth. It is possible to match ceramic or porcelain crowns to the patient’s natural teeth color. Some of the other materials that may be used for making crowns include acrylic, metal alloys and gold. When back teeth require crowning, alloys might be recommended over porcelain since they have greater strength. Most commonly, porcelain is bonded to a metal shell as this provides strength as well as being aesthetically appealing.

A crown is the ideal treatment if you wish to repair broken teeth or have teeth damaged by large fillings or decay. Dr. Elizabeth Tran at Smooth Dental Group specializes in crown placement and lists some of the common reasons why people opt for crowns:

• Crowns help repair discolored fillings. Hence, they are useful for those looking to enhance the look of their teeth.
• They may be used for firmly holding a denture or a bridge in place.
• Some patients have a tooth with root filling. Crowns can protect the remaining tooth by offering a shield.
• For cosmetic enhancement.

It is possible to make permanent crowns from metal, pure resin, pure ceramic or porcelain-bonded-to-metal. A stainless-steel crown is a prefabricated crown which is placed on a permanent tooth, usually for temporary purposes. This crown is helpful in protecting the filling or tooth while the permanent one is being made.

Some common types of permanent crowns include:

• Metal Crowns

The metals used for making crowns usually include allows with high platinum or gold content. Metal crowns are capable of withstanding chewing and biting pressure quite well and are perhaps the longest-lasting types of permanent crowns.

• Porcelain-Bonded-to-Metal Crowns

The key advantage of porcelain-bonded-to-metal crowns is that the color of these crowns can be matched to the adjoining teeth. Hence, they look almost like your normal teeth. Porcelain crowns have a higher risk of chipping or breaking off, especially when compared to resin or metal counterparts.

• All-Resin Crowns

This category of crowns are less costly when compared to the others; it should be noted that they are also quicker to suffer wear as well.  

• All-Porcelain or All-Ceramic

These dental crowns offer a more natural appearance (color matched to your teeth) and are often recommended for those patients who have metal allergies. Both back and front teeth can be repaired with all-ceramic crowns.

To avoid any damage to your newly restored crown, avoid chewing on hard foods and objects and visit your dentist for routine checkups and cleanings.