Dental Crowns in Enniskillen

Crowning Glory

You may have heard of dental crowns, which are also commonly known as caps – and what a fantastic description it is, like the caps we wear on our heads, dental caps offer many benefits to the wearer.

Dental crowns are an ideal way to rebuild teeth which have been broken, or have been weakened by decay, large fillings, or previous root canal treatment. A crown fits over the remaining tooth structure, helping to reinforce its strength, allowing a long-term restoration.

Your new crown will look, feel and function just like any other tooth, making it a reliable and predictable solution to restore weakened teeth.

Like everything else, the lifespan of a crown will depend on how well it is looked after. The crown itself is not like a natural tooth, i.e. It will not decay; however, you must still care for any crowns you have as if they were your natural teeth as decay can occur where the crown edge joins to the tooth.

Why Might My Tooth Need a Crown?

There are many reasons why you may require a dental crown.

• Your natural tooth may have broken and cannot be built up using normal filling techniques.
• To reinforce a weakened tooth, such as one which has been root treated, and prevent it from breaking.
• To cover an implant.
• To disguise imperfections in the tooth such as discolouration from large fillings.
• To add brightness to your smile or hide badly discoloured teeth.
• If you grind your teeth, have poor diet or excessive acid erosion, your teeth may be worn and crowns may be recommended to ensure no further damage occurs.
• To help hold a denture or bridge in place securely.

What Are the Benefits of Having a Crown?

• Provides an extra layer of strength to a tooth which has been weakened.
• Protection against extremes of heat or cold which can cause sensitivity.
• Protects the natural tooth underneath from dirt and bacteria that cause decay.
• They can transform the appearance of your smile, providing lovely natural looking results.
• Restored chewing function.

Are There Different Types of Crowns?

CEREC Crowns

Cerec crowns are an incredible type of restoration offered at Belmore Dental. We understand just how difficult it can be to take time out of your busy lifestyle to attend multiple dental appointments. That’s why we have invested in CEREC technology, giving us the ability to provide same day restorations such as crowns, veneers, and bridges.

Advantages

• Fast & convenient, no need to attend for multiple visits, weeks apart, with everything completed in one day.
• No need to have a temporary crown placed.
• Improved smile aesthetics with natural looking results.
• Digital scans of the inside of your mouth will be used to create your crown, ensuring total accuracy, comfortable fit and removes the need for uncomfortable traditional putty impressions.

Disadvantages

• May not be quite as durable as a conventional crown, however as long as they are cared for as directed by your dentist CEREC still provide strong, durable & long-lasting restorations.

Porcelain or Ceramic Lab produced Crowns

Porcelain or ceramic crowns are a more modern alternative to metal or metal fused crowns. These crowns are highly aesthetic and can be used anywhere in the mouth.

Advantages

• In terms of aesthetics, porcelain/ceramic crowns are the superior choice. This type of crown is matched very carefully to your natural surrounding teeth, ensuring a visually pleasing result.
• This type of crown is the best choice for restoring front teeth, allowing the natural look of the teeth to be maintained through careful and detailed design of the crown.
• These crowns are bio-compatible, meaning that no metal is utilised, thus ensuring they are free from possible toxic elements.

Disadvantages

• This type of crown is not as strong as a metal restoration. Porcelain/ceramic crowns are still a very strong durable choice, as long as they are well looked after they will serve as a long-lasting restoration.
• A porcelain or ceramic crown could be a more costly alternative to its metal counterpart.

Porcelain Fused Metal Crowns (PFM)

There’s no denying that fully ceramic/porcelain crowns provide beautiful results, however, depending on the location of the tooth the affected tooth, you may benefit from a restoration which also has the strength of metal.

Advantages

• The metal portion of a PFM crown provides enhanced durability and strength.
• Generally, longer lasting restoration than a fully ceramic/porcelain crown.
• Aesthetic results with the outer layer being made from porcelain.
• Restored biting and chewing function.

Disadvantages

• Doesn’t provide the same level of aesthetic result as a fully porcelain/ceramic crown would.
• Some patients worry about the metal content of this type of crown. While safe for most patients, those with certain metal sensitivities may have an adverse reaction to a PFM crown.

Gold Crowns

Gold crowns are normally made from a combination of copper and other metals, such as chromium. The biggest advantage associated with a gold crown is their strength and durability. Gold crowns are not a very common choice in today’s society, mainly due to their colour and aesthetic look.

Advantages

• Very strong and highly resistant.
• Long lasting restoration, when cared for correctly.
• Usually require less preparation of the underlying natural tooth.
• An ideal choice for a back tooth, such as a molar.

Disadvantages

• Gold crowns are not usually seen as being as aesthetically pleasing as a porcelain crown, which mimics the look of a natural tooth.
• Gold alloy crowns can sometimes affect people who may have a sensitivity or allergy. This could cause side effects such as swelling.

What Should I Expect During My Treatment?

In general, the process for getting a crown involves:

• Your dentist will prepare your tooth, which can involve just the removal of the decay, a root canal or both.
• An impression of your teeth will be taken, usually via a digital scan. This ensures that we can create the perfect custom crown for you in terms of fit, shape and visual properties.
• If you are opting for a lab made crown, there will be a number of weeks between your first appointment which involves preparing the tooth and your second appointment in which you will have your new crown fitted. During this time a temporary restoration will be worn to protect the tooth while you wait.
• If you choose to opt for a CEREC crown the process is similar, with the main difference being that it will all be completed in one visit.

What Should I Consider Before Getting a Crown?

Crowns are long-lasting dental restorations. When getting a crown, you can assume that it will remain in your mouth for many years, knowing this, you will want to ensure you choose the right type of crown, and the right dentist to provide your treatment. In this case, it is not always advisable to choose the cheapest option and the cheapest dentist.

Basing your decision for treatment on only ‘what is the cheapest option’ could lead to poor quality restorations, this could in turn mean, more money in the future, more time required and the possibility of pain and discomfort as a result.

Restorations such as crowns, veneers and composite bonding do not change colour with whitening treatments, only natural teeth are susceptible to whitening. So, if you are unhappy with the colour of your teeth, we always recommend that you carry out a whitening treatment before we choose the shade for your new crown. If you decided not to whiten your teeth before having a crown fitted, and then changed your mind in the future, your crown may need to be replaced if it no longer matched your newly whitened teeth.