A person’s natural dental crown is the visible part of the tooth. It emerges from the gums and is largely made up of tooth enamel. If the natural tooth crown is largely destroyed by dental disease, an artificial tooth crown is used to rebuild the tooth. Artificial dental crowns are made of metal alloy and ceramic.
What is an artificial dental crown?
In order to place an artificial dental crown, the remaining parts of a natural dental crown must be ground down to fit the gum. A natural tooth consists of three elements: a dental crown, the neck of the tooth, and the root of the tooth. If the natural tooth crown is destroyed by caries or violence due to an accident, it can be replaced by an artificial tooth crown. In order to fit an artificial tooth crown, the remaining parts of a natural tooth crown must be ground down to fit the gum. Furthermore, a step is created at the neck of the tooth. A special compound is then used to press the tooth into a mold, which serves as an impression. With such a tooth model, a dental technician can then make a specially fitting dental crown, which can finally be placed on the remaining tooth stump. Artificial dental crowns can be made of titanium, gold alloys, or even non-metal alloys. There are fully veneered crowns, partially veneered crowns, or unveneered full cast crowns. The material used for veneering crowns can be plastic compounds or ceramics. Ceramic veneers are of higher quality because they have higher color stability and less wear. Galvano-gold based crowns are made of 999 – gold and receive a tooth-colored veneer. Alternatively, there are still all-ceramic crowns, which have a comparatively lower thermal conductivity.
Forms, types and types
An artificial dental crown becomes necessary whenever the dentist has exhausted other measures to preserve the natural crown. The artificial dental crown is like a cap that is built over the natural tooth stump. Under local anesthesia, the dentist grinds the substructure of the dental crown into a durable shape. This shaping of the natural tooth stump is called preparation. It serves to ensure that the dental crown can be anchored well later. It can take several weeks from the preparation to completion in the dental laboratory. For this reason, the dentist covers the trimmed tooth stump with a temporary solution made of metal or plastic. For a dental crown, the right size, shape, perfect fit and exercised function during chewing are important quality characteristics. Each dental crown is individually designed, manufactured and fitted. In most cases, the substructure of the dental crown is made of metal. Veneers are placed on it by the dental technician. The veneers are color-matched to the surrounding teeth and are made of plastic or ceramic. There are also full metal crowns that do not have veneers. However, especially in the front anterior region, these crowns are not often desirable due to the conspicuousness of their color. In addition to fully veneered crowns, there are also dental crowns with a partial veneer that only cover the area visible from the front. Dental crowns made entirely of ceramic, on the other hand, are almost indistinguishable from the natural tooth.
Structure and mode of operation
In order to ensure the optimal provision of a dental crown, several dental impressions are necessary at a dentist. Very precise and careful work must be done, as even the smallest inaccuracies will have a serious impact on the subsequent fit of the dental crown. If the dental crown is custom-made, the dentist must fit it into the patient’s dentition with great precision. During the fitting of the dental crown, small changes can still be made, which the dentist can achieve by grinding. After fitting, the dental crown is firmly attached to the tooth stump. For this purpose, the dentist uses cement, which makes the crown fit firmly. Cemented-in crowns form a firm bond with the substructure so that they can hardly be detached. Manual detachment after cementing would damage the dental crown. If the teeth are well cared for, the dental crown can last up to 25 years. Veneers with plastic, however, can wear out much sooner. The minimum service life is also at least 10 years for all-ceramic dental crowns.
Medical and health benefits
Crowning natural teeth requires the dentist to grind down the remaining tooth, so healthy tooth material is often removed in the process. Of course, this process can also cause damage to the machined tooth in the long run, but the risk of not crowning a diseased tooth and leaving an untreated denture is usually riskier. Dangerous dental diseases may develop as a result, and the remaining tooth may fracture or the root may ulcerate. In any case, it is advisable to have a dentist restore a gap or damaged denture promptly with stable, high-quality dental prostheses. Dental crowns significantly increase the patient’s quality of life. He has the possibility to use the tooth in question again. With a crowned tooth, the patient can also chew properly again. The tooth has been restored and will no longer cause discomfort in the long term. For many people, dental crowns are also particularly important from an aesthetic point of view. Damage to the front teeth can be compensated for almost perfectly by dental crowns. Thus, dental crowns enable a beautiful smile to be restored even in the case of severely discolored, misshapen or chipped teeth, thus contributing to greater self-confidence.
