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Dental Crown

A dental crown is the part of an artificial tooth that is visible, above the alveolar tissue of the gum line. It can rest on top of an existing tooth root or it can be housed on top of an implant. When there are more crowns next to each other, we refer to that dental prosthesis as a bridge. A single crown is meant for the replacement of a single tooth, however if teeth are very small than they can replace more than just one tooth.

The main difference between the different dental crowns used in our London dental practice is the material they are made of. All of our crowns come with a standard porcelain outer shell that is colored according to the teeth they are meant to replace and fit in with the teeth that they are next to. To see the difference between our crowns one would need to look at the internal structure, the very core of the dental crown. Our standard crowns are made out of a surgical steel alloy, which is then fused to the porcelain outer shell. These crowns are nearly identical to living teeth, but when light shines on them the internal structure can become visible. Our more expensive crowns are made from a mineral known as zirconium oxide. This material is basically indistinguishable from living teeth. The same outer shell is used as in all of our crowns, but when the internal structure is made of this fabulous mineral the crown is virtually indistinguishable from regular teeth. The reason for this is that zirconium oxide is semi-translucent, and plays with light in the same way regular teeth do. More and more patients are turning to this option specifically for this reason.

The process of getting a crown is relatively straightforward. It usually takes 2 or 3 visits. On the first visit, you would generally be told that your tooth needs to be crowned, and that means that first your tooth will need to be prepared. Any treatment for stabilizing the condition of your tooth and restoring it to health will already need to have been done by this point. What you are left with is a stub of tooth, that then needs to be prepared, which means it needs to be etched with an aesthetic shoulder - carved into a shape that can house the crown solidly. After this an impression will need to be taken, which will be sent to our dental technicians. You will be given a temporary crown, so as to not leave you toothless while we are making the crown itself. Depending on the level of work, the crown should be done within 2-3 weeks. After the crown is done you just need to come on by and have the crown put on to the prepared tooth and you are set with a new dental crown!

At our London dental practice, we have our own dental technician and dental laboratory, thus making us one of the quickest dental practices for getting crowns made.