Dental Crowns by London-Based Dentists
Dental crowns, also referred to as “dental or tooth caps,” envelop the visible section of the tooth that lies above the gum line, and may even be extended slightly below the gum line, depending on the extent of the dental decay and/or support required by the affected tooth. A London-based dentist might recommend inserting a dental crown using numerous rationale, however the majority of these typically include the following; restoration of a tooth to its unique form and function, and for aesthetic reasons.
Dental crowns become the new external tooth shell, and are made-up of many types of materials including; all porcelain (a type of ceramic), metal (gold or other metal alloy), or a combination of both (i.e., porcelain fused to gold/metal, with the gold/metal being the undersurface of the crown and the porcelain being baked onto the gold/metal and shaped to replicate the tooth).
A broken-down, extremely worn, or extremely decayed tooth, generally require a full crown to properly restore the tooth. Local anesthesia is used when the dentist prepares a tooth for a crown. The remaining tooth enamel and some of the dentin layer (i.e., second layer) of the tooth is prepared using a variety of diamond drills, with the walls of the tooth kept in a parallel orientation to help with the crown retention. When an adequate amount of tooth structure is removed and the dentist is pleased with the preparation, gingival cord is packed around the tooth so that an impression can be made of what is left of the tooth. The dentist then sends this impression, an opposing impression, and bite registration to the lab, so that they can fabricate a dental crown. The dentist writes the instructions on a laboratory prescription so that the laboratory knows exactly what the dentist needs and also the proper shade of the tooth. The finished product is sent back to the dentist, and the dentist then cements the crown in place, and adjusts your bite properly. There are many other methods to improve your dental aesthetics, and these should be presented to you by your dentist before you decide that you want your front teeth prepared into peg-like structures for cosmetic reasons.
