Dental Crowns

• If the tooth has suffered a large fracture then a dental crown can protect the remaining part of the tooth.
• If a significant part of a tooth is lost due to dental decay then a crown is much stronger than a filling.
• During root canal treatment, if a large portion of the tooth is removed or discoloured a dental crown can fix this.
• Patients who grind their teeth can gain protection by having a crown placed over worn or damaged teeth.
• Crowns can also be used for cosmetic purposes to improve the look of a smile.

All Ceramic Crown

All ceramic crowns have no grey metal inside. Therefore, they are often used for the visible front teeth. If over time, the gum recedes, there will be no grey metal margin on show. At Pearl Dental Clinic we also offer an express service for dental crowns.

Metal Ceramic Crown

These crowns have a metal core on the inside and porcelain bonded to the outside. However, the thin porcelain layer can fracture more easily than other crowns. Metal Ceramic crowns are usually used on back teeth.

All Zirconium Crowns

These crowns are usually used for back teeth. These crowns have no porcelain, so the risk of crown fracture is far less. In terms of tooth reduction, these crowns need minimal drilling similar to gold crowns. These crowns are not quite as aesthetically pleasing as ceramic crowns but are still white in colour.

Gold Crowns

These crowns are the strongest crowns available. They are usually used for back teeth. Gold crowns need minimal tooth reduction.

1. Clinical assessment and an X-ray is taken.
2. Preparation of the tooth along with digital scans to be sent to the lab. A temporary crown is then fitted. We are one of the few clinics in the UK that use the iTero digital scanning system. The iTero handheld wand takes a digital, 3D image of your teeth instead of using a traditional rubber mould. The digital image is electronically sent to the dental laboratory immediately. This speeds up the process of manufacture.
3. The Itero Digital Scanner helps eliminate patient gagging which is the problem with traditional impressions and moulds taken for construction of dental crowns in the past.
4. Fitting of the final crown once it has returned from the lab.

With good regular maintenance, crowns can last 10-15 years.