What are Crowns?

Crowns, sometimes called caps, help to make an otherwise compromised tooth, into a strong one. Crowns generally replace three quarters of the tooth's natural crown.

Although there are many different types of crown, there are two main designs depending on the amount of tooth structure left. A post crown is necessary for teeth that have fractured near the gum line. The root is filled and the post of the post-crown is submerged into the dead root.

The other design is commonly known as a 'cap'. The tooth prepared by shaving down the outer structure until just a peg remains. The crown then fits over the preparation.

The Preparing of a Crown

The preparing and fitting of a crown is made over two visits.  The first visit can last anything from 30 - 60 minutes per crown.  This appointment is spent preparing the tooth and taking impressions.  During this time, your dentist will place a temporary filling or temporary crown over the prepared tooth. The second appointment is made for 10 to 14 days later at which time the crown(s) can be fitted and this usually takes 20 - 40 minutes.

Different types of crowns

Full Metal Crowns

These are NHS crowns made from semi-precious metals. They are usually reserved for the molars/back teeth.

Gold Crowns

These crowns are unfortunately only available privately as there is a much higher gold content than in the NHS equivalent. Whereas the NHS metal fades to a copper/silver colour over time, the private crown stays very gold-looking and wears down at the same rate as your existing dentition.

Porcelain Bonded Crown

For the more visible teeth the NHS provide what are called Porcelain bonded Crowns. They consist of a thin coating of porcelain bonded to a precious metal base - this base is then cemented to the tooth structure that already exists.

The same type of crowns are available privately, but more expensive materials are used. You can get much stronger porcelains which also tend to appear more translucent and in line with real teeth. It is also possible to add characterization to the crowns so that they resemble your original teeth as much as they can.

Porcelain Jacket Crowns

These are made of various types of porcelain or composite. They are not bonded to precious metals as with other white crowns, but are made entirely of tooth coloured materials. These are probably the most expensive crowns available but are extremely high quality.