Dental Crowns

At Glen Ellyn Dentistry, we provide comprehensive restorative and cosmetic dental services. One of our most popular treatments in both branches of dentistry is the dental crown. Dental crowns are a highly versatile dental treatment that can be used to restore your oral health while improving the look of your smile. 

What Is a Tooth Cap (Dental Crown)?

Dental crowns, also called tooth caps, are prosthetic dental devices used to encapsulate and protect a patient’s natural tooth. On the outside, a dental crown looks just like a natural tooth. On the inside, however, a dental crown is perfectly hollow so that it can fit seamlessly and comfortably over a properly prepared natural tooth. 

Dental crowns can be made from a variety of different materials. Some of the most popular are porcelain dental crowns, gold dental crowns, and crowns made of porcelain fused to metal. The material used to make your dental crown depends on the location of the crown and the patient’s treatment preference. 

How Are Dental Crowns Used?

Dental crowns have several treatment applications. They can be used to:

  • Support, strengthen, and protect a severely damaged or decayed tooth following a root canal procedure
  • Repair and protect a broken, chipped, or fractured tooth
  • Cover old, silver amalgam dental fillings
  • Correct the appearance of an irregularly sized or shaped tooth
  • Cover a permanent stain or discoloration
  • Improve the balance and symmetry of a smile
  • Anchor a dental bridge
  • Cap a dental implant to replace a missing tooth

Types of Dental Crowns

Permanent Crowns

Permanent crowns are custom-designed and manufactured. A permanent crown is permanently fixed to the patient’s natural tooth using dental cement. 

When Is a Permanent Dental Crown Needed?

Permanent crowns are used in final dental restoration treatments. 

Temporary Crowns

A temporary crown is only worn for a short period to protect a tooth while a patient awaits the manufacturing of their permanent crown or another type of dental restoration. 

When Is a Temporary Dental Crown Needed?

A temporary dental crown might be needed if you have a severely damaged tooth, a broken crown, or another issue that could compromise the health and integrity of the inside of your tooth while you await permanent treatment. 

How Long Do Dental Crowns Last? 

With proper care, porcelain dental crowns can last an average of about 10 to 15 years, and gold crowns last much-much longer. 

To prolong the life of a porcelain dental crown, avoid chewing on hard objects or foods. Additionally, you can protect your dental work by wearing a protective mouthguard during athletic activities that could damage your teeth. If you have been diagnosed with sleep bruxism, wearing a nightguard while you sleep can also help to protect your dental crown. 

To keep a tooth-colored crown looking bright and white, we recommend avoiding highly pigmented foods and drinks in addition to abstaining from tobacco use of all kinds. 

If your crown becomes damaged in any way, we can repair or replace it. Cracked or broken dental crowns typically need to be replaced, and loose or detached crowns can often simply be cleaned and reattached to the natural tooth. 

Preserve Your Natural Teeth With Dental Crowns in Glen Ellyn, Illinois

Dental crowns are incredibly useful and versatile. They have restorative, preventive, and cosmetic benefits that they can offer patients, depending on how they are used. Whether you are scheduled for a root canal, have old silver-colored fillings to cover up, or simply want to improve the appearance of a misshapen or missized tooth, a dental crown could be the perfect solution to your oral health needs. 

To learn more about dental crowns, we welcome you to contact Glen Ellyn Dentistry at 630-942-0727 to request an appointment with Dr. Charise Petrelli or Dr. Cathy Nguyen today.

Get Started Today!

We look forward to welcoming new patients into our office and seeing our existing patients again. To request an appointment, we welcome you to contact our office at 630-942-0727 or complete the appointment request form on our website.

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