To
strengthen a tooth or improve its shape, a crown is often
used. As a cosmetic restoration, crowns are most often used
for teeth that are broken, worn, or damaged by extensive tooth
decay. They are also used following certain procedures such
as a root canal.
Crowns
are attached onto an existing tooth using a specially formulated
cement. Because they completely cover your tooth above the
gum line, they become your tooth’s new outer surface. Crowns
are made of porcelain, metal, or both. Porcelain crowns are
popular because of their strength and translucent properties,
which makes them look like natural teeth.
Crowns
or onlays (partial crowns) become necessary when a tooth can
no longer support a filling. An impression is made of the
tooth, and the impression is sent to a laboratory, where a
technician studies the impression and then creates a crown
that will accommodate the patient's specific bite and jaw
movements.
