Dental Prosthesis
Artificial Dental Crowns
Crowns can often help to preserve your natural teeth
Often a tooth that is seriously damaged is still worth preserving. In these cases, an artificial dental crown can be fitted as a protective cover for the afflicted tooth. Crowning can frequently prevent the loss of the entire tooth. In our smilin’’ dental practice in Rheinfelden, we provide customised crowns to suit your individual requirements, using only materials that are especially durable. They are designed to ensure normal and comfortable chewing and excellent aesthetic results.
When do you need an artificial crown?
The aim of modern dentistry is to preserve your natural teeth for as long as possible. Preserving a tooth and its root is the best option for promoting the health of both the jawbone and the neighbouring teeth. A dental crown tailored to fit perfectly can be a major benefit when it comes to preserving natural teeth. This solution is frequently used:
- if a treatment for dental caries entails the loss of a substantial amount of tooth substance
- in particular after root canal treatment
- where a dental defect has spread under the gums
- if teeth are otherwise unstable or brittle
Comprehensive caries treatment, for example, involves the removal of a great deal of diseased tooth substance. This is in particular the case if the dental caries has advanced far into the tooth substance and a root canal treatment becomes necessary. In many cases, a simple filling would fail to give the tooth the required stability – for example, because its sides have become very thin or are no longer there. By contrast, the artificial dental crown can withstand the pressures of chewing over a period of many years.
Even if an individual tooth is past saving and needs to be completely removed, a dental crown is an excellent solution. In this case, the crown is attached to a dental implant, an artificial root. This implant integrates firmly with the jawbone, providing a safe and strong support for the crown.
Types of crowns
There are two different types of dental crowns:
- Partial crowns cover only part of the tooth’s surface. This option is used where the sides of the tooth are still in sufficiently good condition to warrant preservation.
- Full crowns fully encase the entire visible portion of a more seriously damaged tooth.
Whichever type of crown you need, in our smilin’’ dental practice in Rheinfelden we generally provide you with a non-metal all-ceramic crown. It is customised in our in-house dental lab to meet your requirements and highest quality standards. These all-ceramic crowns have an especially stable zirconium oxide structure and are extremely long lasting. They can be tailored to perfectly match the surrounding natural teeth in terms of colour and shape. This allows us to offer solutions that are aesthetically especially pleasing.
Construction and insertion
To prepare the tooth for the artificial dental crown, it is first filed down to accommodate the crown. A dental cast is then prepared. This cast is used as a guide for the preparation of your customised dental crown in our in-house dental laboratory. It is cut out accurately from a ceramic block using computer-assisted technology and subsequently reworked by one of our experienced dental technicians. When preparing the crown, the dental technician can choose between innumerable different colour shades. This enables him to precisely colour match the crown to your natural teeth, ensuring that the dental crown is virtually indistinguishable from its surroundings.
After a few days your artificial crown is ready for insertion. Until then, your tooth will be covered with a protective temporary crown. The permanent crown is fixed to the filed down tooth with special high-quality dental cement. Modern dental crowns are extremely long lasting, and careful maintenance will further enhance their longevity.
Same-day dental restoration?
At your request we can also use a state-of-the-art digital procedure for your dental restoration work. This option allows us to manufacture your dental crown while you wait. Thanks to computer-assisted technology, the crown can be inserted right after your treatment – generally within one hour. Using a special camera, a 3D scan of your tooth is made. The scan data is then sent straight to the robotic milling machine in the dental laboratory, where your crown is cut. It can then be inserted immediately.
Individual Consultation
The smilin’’ dental practice in Rheinfelden near Lörrach and Weil am Rhein will be happy to advise you on the advantages of an artificial dental crown. Simply ask us during your treatment, or make an appointment for an examination either by phone or e-mail at your convenience.