Introduction
An incisor crown is understood to be, on the one hand, the natural tooth crown that protrudes into the oral cavity and, on the other hand, the crown artificially made by the dentist, which functions as a dental prosthesis. The tooth must be ground before the artificial crown is made on a model. The crown is then cemented to the tooth stump.
The cost depends on the material used and the size of the restoration. They are only partially covered by health insurance. A little more subsidy can be obtained by keeping a bonus booklet throughout.
Cause
An incisor crown is always necessary if there is not enough of the patient’s own tooth substance. Enamel, dentine and root cement are part of the hard tooth substance. This is the case, for example, when several large fillings are made on the affected tooth.
In this case, a new filling would allow too little adhesion and increase the risk of tooth breakage when biting off. The loss of hard substance can be caused by a carious lesion or, especially in the case of incisors, by trauma. Trauma describes an injury, which in this case is caused by a fall on the incisal edge or by a blow to the face.
It is possible for incisors to break off well below the level of the gums. The only chance of rescue is a crown. Besides too much loss of hard tooth substance, there are other reasons for crowning.
This is necessary, for example, after a root canal treatment or for the insertion of a bridge. The position of the teeth can also be changed with an incisor crown. One tooth is then adapted to the other to achieve a visual improvement.
Diagnosis
Usually the dentist can see at first glance whether an artificial crown is necessary. To make a diagnosis, a percussion and cold test is performed to test the vitality of the tooth. In a percussion test, the dentist carefully taps the teeth with the lower end of the mouth mirror.
This should not cause pain in healthy teeth. During a cold test, the dentist holds a small cotton ball sprayed with cold spray against the neck of the tooth. If the teeth are healthy, the patient now feels a “pull” on the respective tooth. However, if the patient feels pain during a percussion test or if the typical “pulling” after cold treatment is omitted, in this case an x-ray of the symptomatic tooth must be taken. If an inflammation can be seen there, the cause should be eliminated before the crowning is done.
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