Dental Crowns in Jerusalem

What is a Dental Crown?

A dental crown is a type of artificial cover of a natural damaged or destroyed tooth, for instance, because of severe damage that led to the tooth breaking or as a result of tooth decay. The idea is to cover what remains of the tooth with a crown that will look as similar as possible in terms of color and dimensions to the adjacent teeth and restore its chewing function.

In the past, it was popular to use metal crowns, so although it restored the chewing abilities, the crowns could be seen when smiling. Nowadays, however, crowns are made using different methods. One of the methods is performed in two stages: an inner layer made of metal to ensure it stays in its place, and the outer layer is made of porcelain in a similar color to the adjacent teeth.

Another method is to use one layer of ceramic material that does not contain any metal and looks just like a natural tooth. There are also partial crowns, known professionally as onlay, inlay and overlay – these are partial crowns that can be assembled with maximum preservation of the remaining natural tooth.

Be that as it may, nowadays, even if there is a crown over a tooth, you can chew just as you used to as well as smile a big, wide smile – this is especially important for people who have frontal teeth aesthetic issues, since a frontal dental crown can not only impressively improve the aesthetics of your smile, but of your confidence as well.

Types of Dental Crowns

There are different types of dental crowns which are made from different materials (which has an effect, among other things, over their quality and price). In our dental clinic in Talpiot, Jerusalem, we perform regular crown installation treatments made of metal with porcelain coating, zirconia crowns, and e-max crowns. In some cases, there’s an option of having a gold-based crown with porcelain coating.

Temporary Crown

Another type of crown that you should know about is a temporary crown: this is a crown that is installed for a temporary period, such as instances like during the period it takes to perform another dental treatment on a particular tooth. A temporary crown is attached in a relatively weak way that will not last for too long – but it has several important purposes. One of them is an aesthetic reason, since sometimes treatments can last for several days and up to several months. Another reason is to maintain the space, because without a temporary crown the adjacent teeth may move and close the space of the teeth.

Another reason is to increase the effectiveness and adjustment of the fixed crown. This is because at the end of the process, the permanent crown (and it doesn’t matter what material it will be made of) will have the same dimensions as the temporary crown, so during that stage, you can report to your dentist of any discomfort or pain you might feel to adjust the fixed dental crown to perfection.

How is a Dental Crown Installed?

First, the existing tooth is grinded and sanded (under local anesthesia), so that the crown can be “dressed” over it in a way where the treated tooth has the same dimensions as the adjacent teeth. Later, a temporary crown is attached to the remaining tooth, to get used to the feeling and check the dimensions over a short period of time – and then finally, an identical permanent crown is produced and glued, which should last for years.