Dental Crowns
Enhance the shape and colour of natural teeth while also protecting them from bacterial attacks and heavy biting forces.
What is A Dental crown?
A dental crown is like a tooth jacket or cap that we place onto the tooth. It covers the tooth entirely and helps restore its shape, size, form, and appearance. The crown also saves the tooth from damage by bacteria or heavy biting forces in the mouth. Most dental crowns cover all four surfaces of the teeth, but you can also get partial crowns covering only two or three surfaces.
What is it used to treat?
To restore decayed teeth that fillings cannot fix.
To protect weak and brittle teeth (e.g. after a root canal treatment)
To fix a chipped or fractured tooth.
To improve the appearance of discolored or yellow teeth.
To cap an implant.
Yes, a dental crown is suitable for people of all ages, from children to the elderly. Children usually get stainless steel crowns, and adults can opt for all-metal, all-ceramic, porcelain fused to metal, and all-resin crowns.
Pros
- Protection from further tooth damage
- Aesthetically better-looking teeth
- Long-lasting treatment
Cons
- Some amount of tooth trimming to be done to make a place for the crown
- The longevity of the dental crown depends on the patient’s eating habits and oral hygiene
- Metal crowns
Nowadays, in this practice, if a metal crown is prescribed, it usually is a yellow gold crown for a tooth at the very back of the mouth. such metal crowns are strong durable and fracture resistant. Because these metal crowns can be very thin they require less destruction of the original tooth structure
- Porcelain fused to metal
These dental crowns are made of an inner layer of metal and an outer layer of porcelain. The inner layer imparts the strength of metal crowns, while the outer layer takes care of the tooth aesthetics. PFM crowns are exceptionally durable and last up to 10-15 years.
- All-ceramic crowns
All-ceramic crowns are made entirely of ceramic or porcelain. They closely replicate the natural shade, look, and colour of your teeth. They offer good strength and do not get chipped easily. Ceramic crowns are usually preferred for front teeth for better aesthetics.
- All resin crowns
These crowns are made of resin material and can mimic the look of natural teeth well.
- Stainless steel
Stainless steel crowns are used as temporary crowns in children, usually when fillings cannot be placed or after a pulpotomy (root canal for baby teeth).
Filling: Chipped, broken, or decayed teeth can be fixed with fillings. However, when the tooth is very decayed or broken down significantly, a crown might offer a better long-term prognosis.
Veneers: Veneers can be used to treat discoloured and chipped front teeth in place of crowns. They are thin shells of dental material that fix on the front surfaces of your teeth.
Onlays: An onlay is like a partial crown. When there is considerable decay and a filling alone cannot fix the cavity, you can opt for an onlay instead of a crown. Onlays do not require a lot of teeth structure to be removed. They are glued onto the teeth with a strong bonding cement. Hence, there is less chance of them getting dislodged.
Tooth extraction: If a tooth cannot be fixed with a filling, crown, onlay or veneer, then the only means to treat it is to remove it. Otherwise, infection from this tooth can spread to your gums, bone, and other teeth.
Happy Patients
We always strive to ensure that all our patients leave us smiling
Have been going here years and would highly recommend. The hygienist Sally-Ann is amazing!
Daragh CassidyApril 11, 2019
We started attending this dental practice on a recommendation when we moved to the area over 20 year ago. We have always received a warm welcome and professional service.
Niall LoftusDecember 8, 2023
Dental Crowns procedeure
What to expect during the dental crown process?
Our dentist will first take a tooth X-ray to check for decay signs. If there is considerable decay or risk of injury to pulp tissue, a root canal treatment is performed before capping.
We will trim the tooth from all the sides to make it smaller and reshape it. The volume of tooth structure to be trimmed off depends on the type of crown to be used.
We will then obtain the measurements of your shaved tooth using a putty impression material. At this point, we also select the shade or colour of the new crown to match your natural tooth. These measurements are sent to the lab for crown fabrication.
Until the permanent crown comes in, we will place a temporary crown to protect your tooth.
The lab will send the crown back in 1-2 weeks, and we will recall you for an appointment. On the final appointment day, we will glue the crown onto your tooth with cement and make all the final adjustments.
Are dental crowns Important?
Crowns resemble natural teeth that have been fixing decayed, damaged, or chipped teeth with tooth covers helping restore damaged teeth to their natural shape and look. Dental crowns also safeguard your teeth from further damage by bacteria and other agents.
Different types of crowns are available in our clinic. Regular dental crowns cover the tooth entirely, also we have partial crowns (onlays) for situations where a full crown is not necessary. You can go for porcelain crowns, metal crowns, porcelain fused to metal or resin crowns.
Porcelain crowns are widely used for front teeth since they give the most aesthetic look, followed closely by porcelain fused to metal (PFM) crowns. PFM crowns have a base layer of metal bonded to an outer layer of porcelain, so along with being aesthetic, they are also quite strong. We usually use them on the back teeth. Metal crowns (usually yellow gold) are another option for the very back teeth.
To have a dental crown fitted, you will be required to come in for two different appointments a couple of weeks apart. In the first appointment, we will shape your tooth and take its measurements. In the second appointment, we will check the fit of the final crown and cement it in place.
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Practice Plan
frequently Asked Questions
Yes, dental crowns are a permanent treatment option. They can last at least 10-15 years if you take proper care of them and maintain good oral hygiene.
A tooth crown may be necessary to restore a badly broken down or decayed tooth. It is also required after a root canal treatment as the tooth becomes weak and needs to be protected (to avoid serious fracture).
Dental crowns come in many materials, depending on your needs and requirements. You can have stainless steel, all-metal (gold and other alloys), metal fused to porcelain, all-ceramic, and all-resin crowns. The most commonly used crowns are metal fused to ceramic, all-metal and all-ceramic crowns.
We use dental crowns for many reasons.
- When teeth are severely decayed and cannot be restored with fillings, we use crowns.
- When a tooth is missing, a crown & bridge is used to replace the missing tooth.
- After root canals, the tooth becomes brittle and weak, so a dental crown protects it.
- A dental crown is also used to mask discolored or badly chipped teeth.
Preparing the tooth to receive the crown requires a lot of skill and attention to detail on your dentist’s part. The fabrication of the crown itself necessitates expensive equipment and high-quality materials in the specialist dental laboratory.
Crowns can last at least 10-15 years, depending on your oral habits and oral hygiene practices.
Miriam Kenny Morehampton Dental Practice
Your Trusted Dental Clinic
Our practice is based on providing a high standard of modern dentistry in a friendly, professional manner. It is our mission to help our patients maintain their teeth and a healthy mouth for their lifetime.
Our entire team is committed to this ideal. As a result, a high percentage of our business is from returning patients and referrals of their family and friends. We welcome and are grateful for these referrals.
It has been normal for a long time in modern dentistry to sterilise instruments after use and to clean and disinfect surfaces.
With the current Covid-19 pandemic we are paying particular attention to our normal cross-infection practices, but in addition, we are keeping the practice well ventilated (it may feel cold) and we use a special Fogging machine with Hypochlorous acid (HOCL) which is an all-natural antimicrobial agent made from salt and water by an electrolysis unit. Fogging of each surgery is carried out between patients after any treatment involving an aerosol.
To reduce aerosol production during procedures with the dentist we most often use a little device called a rubber dam —.50 this isolates the immediate teeth we are working with & protects the back of mouth. During hygienist treatment we are using an extra suction device outside of the mouth, this also reduces aerosol production.
We offer modern dentistry in a friendly professional caring environment.
The practice is owned & directed by Miriam Kenny and as the business owner and the principal healthcare professional, I am primarily interested in providing evidence-based dental healthcare. This means my priority is to help my dental patients to maintain their own natural teeth in a healthy mouth for their lifetime.
We can help improve your smile – we offer a range of options depending on what is most appropriate for you, from tooth whitening to composite bonding to ceramic veneers, crowns and bridges.
How Much do Dental Crowns cost?
At Miriam Kenny Morehampton Dental Practice we aim to provide state-of-the-art, quality affordable dental treatment to all.
It was with this in mind that we created our affordable dental plans, which help us to keep your teeth, gums, and oral health in tip-top shape.
With our Practice Plan, you will attend every 6 months with the hygienist and once yearly for your dental examination and have no fees to pay at these visits. The cost of these visits is covered by your monthly subscription – this is as low as €14.50 or €21, depending on whether you qualify for the “PRSI” benefit.
| Treatment | Member of maintenance plan | Non-member of plan |
|---|---|---|
| Dental Crowns | €700-800 | €800-€900 |
| Dental Veneers | €800 | €900 |
| Tooth Whitening (night-time tray bleaching) | €250 | €350 |
Other Treatments you may consider
This is a gentle, effective and safe way to achieve a remarkable improvement in the colour of your natural teeth.
Fixes the worn tooth and the underlying cause which may lead to sensitivity, bite problems, yellow teeth, headaches, or jaw aches.
Resemble natural teeth and help restore damage by bacteria or heavy biting forces to their natural shape and look.
Custom-made cosmetic correction of discolourations, gaps, out of shape, or chipped front teeth. Long-lasting result