Dental crowns

A crown on a tooth allows you to extend the life of teeth that have significant damage, have been restored many times, and their restoration with tabs is no longer possible. It is a fixed denture that is put on the tooth and is fixed with cement. Fully imitates the anatomical shape, texture and color of natural teeth enamel.

When is a dental crown needed?

Installation of dental crowns is indicated in the following cases:

• in case of caries affection of fifty or more percent of dental tissues;
• in the presence of cracks and chips;
• with significant changes in the color of the enamel;
• with a lot of wear on the enamel;
• with significant aesthetic defects (incorrect positioning, curvatures).

The crown allows you to restore the aesthetic characteristics of the dentition and its functionality, is used for installation on implants.

Installation of crowns is not performed in the following cases:

• age under 16;
• gum disease;
• with thinned enamel (quite common on the lower front teeth).

Tooth crowns: types, features

During the existence of crowns, all kinds of materials were used for their manufacture. Everyone knows mini-prostheses made of metal alloys, titanium, coated, plastic, and composite. Today in dentistry, metal-free crowns, as well as products made of metal-plastic and cermets are most in demand. The former are devoid of the drawbacks that were characteristic of the once popular products with a metal base – they do not cause darkening of the gums or allergic reactions. With thinning of the gums, the crown remains invisible, the teeth look natural even in the light.

The following metal-free crowns are available:

• 1
  Pressed ceramics. This is the secret of the perfect smiles of many Hollywood stars and not only stars. Such crowns are almost indistinguishable from living teeth. Their disadvantage is fragility, which somewhat limits their use – they are not installed on chewing teeth. These are crowns for the front teeth, the load on which is significantly lower. Subject to basic rules, the service life of such prostheses reaches 15 years.
• 2
  Zirconium dioxide. Zirconium dioxide crowns are durable and can be used on the chewing group of teeth. When installing them, it is not required to sharpen the teeth too much, they serve for twenty or more years, they look very aesthetically pleasing. Their additional advantage is the possibility of using them in bridges.
• 3
  Aluminium oxide. Aluminum oxide products have appeared relatively recently and, according to many experts, are ahead of zirconium dioxide crowns in aesthetics. They are less durable, therefore they are installed only on the front teeth. There are practically no contraindications for their installation, they do not cause allergies and serve for twenty or more years.

Metal-plastic crowns consist of a base made of an alloy of nickel, cobalt, chromium and covered with plastic. Metal-ceramic mini-prostheses have the same design, but are covered with ceramics. In order to prevent translucency of metal frames, a ceramic shoulder mass is used in them. Most often, such prostheses are used as temporary ones. The service life of plastic products is limited; over time, they increase in size, their color changes.

In addition, the classification of crowns is based on the surface area that they cover:

• full (telescopic, with pins);
• partial (equatorial, fenestrated, three-quarter, half-crowns).

Dental crowns: how is the installation

The installation of crowns, like most of the medical procedures, is preceded by an examination, during which a treatment plan is drawn up, contraindications are determined, and a consultation is carried out regarding the choice of one or another type of crowns. An X-ray is taken to assess the condition of the oral cavity. If there are violations, appropriate treatment is carried out, and tartar and plaque are removed.

Then the doctor proceeds to the preparation of the tooth: removal of the nerve, filling of the canals and turning for the installation of the crown. The latter takes about an hour – the doctor carries out layer-by-layer tissue removal, giving the tooth the required shape.

At the end of the previous stage, the orthopedist takes an impression of the tooth, which is transferred to the dental laboratory, where the crown will be created. In the case of zirconia prostheses, this process is carried out using CAD / CAM technology, and the data is immediately transferred to the milling machine that makes the crown. The technology allows to achieve high accuracy of the created structures.

At the next stage, the crown is tried on. In the event that the prosthesis matches the size, tightly covers the tooth, and there are no complaints from the patient, it is fixed with cement. In some cases, temporary fixation is performed to observe the results, after which the crown is finally installed.

The duration of all stages is from five days to several weeks. The timing depends on the state of the oral cavity, the type and complexity of making crowns. During the treatment, the patients are fitted with template plastic prostheses.

Any manipulations are performed using anesthesia, so pain is excluded.

Dental crowns: contraindications for installation

In the following cases, the installation of crowns is not performed or is postponed until the violation is eliminated:

• chronic periodontitis;
• bruxism;
• fragile tooth enamel;
• small size of teeth;
• serious pathologies of bite and location of the teeth.

Installation of crowns in the dental clinic Amel Dental Clinic in Dnipro (Dnipropetrovsk)

Modern dentistry allows you to quickly and effectively eliminate aesthetic and functional disorders in the dentition. Today, prosthetics are high technologies and gentle techniques that allow you to protect your teeth and extend their service life.

Dental crowns made of zirconium dioxide, ceramics, composite materials are manufactured using CAD / CAM systems, which guarantees excellent aesthetic results, comfort during treatment and full restoration of the functionality of the teeth.