Crowns

What are Crowns?

  • A crown is a type of indirect restoration.
  • They are often referred to as a “cap”.
  • As the name suggests it is placed over a tooth and held in place by dental adhesive or cement.
  • Crowns are used when a direct filling, inlay/onlay are not suitable.

What are the types of crowns?

All metal

  • These are the least destructive of crowns and very good for restoring the function and shape of teeth.
  • They are the most long-standing crown with a very good history.
  • They are usually silver or gold.
  • Due to the colour they are usually used to restore back teeth.

Porcelain fused to metal

  • These try to combine the strength of metal with a natural appearance by having metal inside with porcelain fused over the top.
  • They are very strong with good aesthetics.
  • They have a good history of success.
  • They are good option for back teeth.

All porcelain or ceramic

  • Theses crowns are all porcelain with no metal.
  • They are used to provide the best aesthetic results.
  • As there is no metal they transmit light in the most natural way giving the most life-like appearance of all crowns.
  • They are ideally suited to front teeth.
  • They are more complex to produce so are a more expensive option than porcelain fused to metal or metal only.

  • They enable us to prolong the lifespan of a badly broken down tooth.
  • They can be used to improve the appearance or shape of a tooth.