I am frequently asked by patients, “What is a crown? Why do I need it? How does it help?” Another common question is: Will it look like a real tooth? A good cosmetic dentist is always going to make your crowns look like the rest of your teeth, or better. I like to compare a crown to a well-tailored suit, when done properly it will provide structure, strength and aesthetics. It will not come off. Crowns can possibly need to be adjusted or removed for a number of reasons many years down the line, if it all.

In many cases if a tooth is badly damaged, or has a filling that is too large, a crown is indicated because an even larger filling would be unable to support the daily forces being placed on the tooth. A crown remains a standard of care after a root canal procedure. The crown process requires a preparation portion and a cementation portion. One step will shape the existing tooth to prepare it to receive the crown, the other step will permanently attach the crown. One material we work with, especially in NYC due to the high amount of teeth grinding, is Zirconia. This material has incredible properties such as superior aesthetics and the ability to reduce sensitivity to extreme hot and cold. Unlike other crowns a Zirconia crown is also able to fix its own micro-fractures, making it an ideal material for people who clench their teeth, grind their teeth, or snore. Don’t confuse clinical dental Zirconia with Cubic Zirconia, as they are not the same!

I hope this helps answer some of your common questions about crowns. Please add comments below if you have additional questions. Subscribe to this blog to receive emails of new posts!