Dental crowns be used to restore a tooth's shape and strength.
Since a dental crown that has been cemented into place essentially becomes the new outer surface for the tooth, it is easy to imagine how the placement of a crown can restore a tooth to its original shape. It's also easy to see how a dental crown can help to strengthen a tooth by way of being a hard outer shell that encases the tooth structure that lies within it. For both of these reasons, dental crowns are routinely made for teeth that have broken, worn excessively, or else have had large portions destroyed by tooth decay.

It is conceivable that a dental filling, as an alternative, could be used as a means to restore a tooth's shape. Dental crowns however offer your dentist a big advantage over dental fillings by way of the fact that they are fabricated "away from your mouth." By this we simply mean that dental crowns are fabricated in a dental laboratory (by a dental technician using plaster molds your teeth). Dental fillings, in comparison, are created "in your mouth" by way of your dentist placing the filling material directly upon your tooth.

When a dental crown is made the dental laboratory technician can visualize and examine all aspects of your bite and jaw movements, from a variety of angles, and then sculpt your dental crown so it has the perfect anatomy. In comparison, when a dentist places a dental filling they have far less control over the final outcome of the shape of your tooth because it is often difficult for them to visualize, evaluate, and access to the tooth on which they are working.

From a standpoint of strength considerations, there are some types of filling materials that can bond to tooth structure. For the most part, however, dental fillings are not considered to substantially strengthen a tooth in the same way that a dental crown, with its rigid encapsulation a tooth, can.



Why have Crowns?

• If your tooth has undergone significant decay and there is not enough tooth structure remaining to support a filling or an inlay and maintain functionaility.
• If a large portion of your tooth has fractured and it cannot be built up using traditional composite bonding techniques .
• If you have a large cavity andopt for the additional protection a crown offers to your tooth over a large composite filling or an inlay.
• If you have had a dental implant to replace a missing tooth, a crown will be fitted to the abutment of the titanium implant.
• Following root canal treatment a crown is often needed to strengthen the tooth.
• If you grind your teeth and have a poor diet, acid errosion may reduce your teeth to a point where the only option available is to crown them.
• For cosmetic reasons to improve the aesthetics of your smile, you may opt for all porcelain cosmetic crowns.