Dental Crowns & Caps
Dental crowns, also known as "caps," preserve the functionality of damaged teeth. A dental crown may be used to protect a cracked tooth, restore functionality of a tooth with excessive decay or replace a pre-existing crown. The purpose of a dental crown is to encase a needy tooth with a custom-designed material. Dentists today have a variety of conservative treatment options through which to restore teeth. If possible, these options should be explored and discussed before selecting the full coverage crown.
When are dental crowns needed?
A dental crown may be needed to:
- • protect a weak tooth (for example, from decay) from breaking or to hold together parts of a cracked tooth
- • restore a broken tooth or a severely worn down tooth
- • cover and support a tooth with a large filling and not much tooth remaining
- • hold a dental bridge in place
- • cover misshaped or severely discolored teeth
- • cover a dental implant
- • cover a tooth treated with a root canal
What types of dental crowns are available?
All Porcelain or All Ceramic –These dental crown materials offer the most natural look in your mouth, since they can be made to look just like real teeth. For those people who are allergic to metal, or who prefer not to have metal crowns, all porcelain or all ceramic crowns are an excellent option. However, there are differences in materials used.
Porcelain Fused To Metal – To reap the benefits of the strength provided by metal dental crowns without the aesthetic drawbacks, another good option is a dental crown that has porcelain fused to the metal. This provides a metal base for strength, but the exterior surface is porcelain, allowing it to more naturally blend in with your other teeth.
Metal – Metal dental crowns are among the strongest options, although their major disadvantage is their aesthetics. The material used to create these types of dental crowns is a metal alloy. The metal alloy can be a number of materials.
Resin – These are typically the least expensive option when it comes to selecting a dental crown material, but they come with the strong disadvantage that resin can wear down more quickly than other material types. Resin dental crowns look good in your mouth, but will need to be replaced more quickly than other types.
With flexible appointments and a convenient location, our professional and caring dental team is the right choice for dental crowns in Mclean, VA. Call 703-356-7890 today for your next appointment!
