Dental crowns better known as dental caps, which are advised after root canal treatment. Crowns are also advised if your teeth has wear down or if it cannot be restored or if you have sensitivity. Bridge is done when there is missing teeth in the middle of two healthy teeth. It is a fixed replacement option for missing teeth.
There are several materials present for crowns and bridges. The material chosen depends on several factors. Some of the factors will be the space present while biting, the amount of tooth structure left behind, aesthetics, oral habits and also the cost of the crown plays a major role in selection of it.
- Metal – It is one of the oldest material used for tooth capping. The cap is silver in color and it has good strength. The only problem with metal crowns are aesthetics.
- Ceramic facing metal – In this cap, the core of it is made of metal and only one half i.e., the outside surface is coated with ceramic which is tooth color
- Ceramic or Porcelain (PFM) – The inside of the cap is made with metal and a thin layer outside is coated with ceramic. This type of crowns will give good strength as well as natural tooth like appearance
- Zirconia – It is tough and long lasting. This compound has the strength of metal and aesthetics of a tooth. The material allows light to pass through making it appear a natural. They are biocompatible and can be used for patients with metal allergy. Zirconia crowns can be monolithic or handlayered. Monolithic is one solid and singular shade and hand layering is done to create crown which has more complex shade layers and appears natural.
- Emax – It is latest material which is made of lithium disilicate. This is highly aesthetic. Only a thin material is sufficient and hence only minimal tooth preparations is required. This is mostly preferred in front tooth capping.
Oral Care Instructions after capping
- Proper maintenance is imperative for long term success of the treatment
- Brushing and flossing the crown is advised
- The cement used for fixing the crowns require some time for it to fully set, hence it is recommended to avoid immediate chewing or biting with that tooth.
- Avoid sticky or chewy (peanut bars, hard chocolates, caramel, rice flour, nuts), this puts a lot of stress on the singular crown causing dislodgment
- Please refrain from using your teeth as tools. Do not open bottle caps or jar lids with teeth
- It is normal to have slight sensitivity for 1-2 days, if the tooth is vital and no root canal has been done. This will go away on its own
Here at Denticare Dental Clinic in Mogappair , we do all types of crown and bridges. We keep ourselves updated with the latest material and technologies to provide high quality treatment to our patients. We have shifted to intraoral scan technology which makes the measurement making process comfortable for our patients.
Keep Smiling & Stay Happy
Dr. Gnanaraj Jayabal
Dental & Implant Surgeon
Denticare Chennai
Mogappair