Dental Crowns in Whittier
Restore your beautiful smile with our highly esthetic dental crowns at Perfect Smile Dental Group in Whittier.
Benefits of Dental Crowns
- Restore your beautiful smile.
- Improve esthetic of discolored teeth.
- Save a severely damaged tooth.
- Relief Dental Pain.
- Protect tooth that had a large filling.
- Protect tooth after root canal.
- Support a dental bridge.
Who can benefit from Dental Crowns?
Dental Crowns are recommended to the patient if the tooth cavity is too large, existing composite or amalgam silver fillings are too large, tooth severely worn, crack, broken or weaken after a root canal that requires a full crown for protection.
Types of Dental Crowns
There is a wide variety of dental crowns to select from when restoring a tooth with a crown. At Perfect Smile Dental Group in Whittier, our dentist recommends Zirconia dental crowns for posterior teeth and eMax crowns for restoring anterior teeth.
Full Metal Crowns
Full metal crowns are dental restorations that completely cover and protect a damaged or weakened tooth. They are made from various metal alloys, such as gold, silver, platinum, or palladium, which are melted together to create a strong and durable crown.
Advantages
Full metal crowns are incredibly strong and resistant to wear, making them an excellent option for restoring teeth that undergo heavy chewing forces or for those that clench and grind their teeth. They can withstand the pressures of biting and chewing without fracturing or breaking so they are often recommended for posterior teeth (premolars & molars).
Full metal dental crowns are stronger and more resistant to fracture than porcelain fused to metal crowns. Metal dental crowns can last for 15-20 years in patients with good oral hygiene and they integrate well with the surrounding tissues and provide a stable and comfortable fit.
Disadvantages
One of the main drawbacks of full metal crowns is their metallic appearance. While they offer excellent strength and durability, they may not be the best-looking option, especially for teeth that are visible when smiling or speaking. That’s why they are usually used on the back teeth, tucked out of view.
Porcelain Fused to Metal Crowns (PFM Crowns)
Porcelain fused to metal (PFM) crowns are dental restorations that combine the strength of metal with the esthetics of porcelain. These crowns consist of a metal base or substructure covered with a layer of tooth-colored porcelain, creating a natural-looking appearance.
Advantages
PFM crowns offer the strength and durability of metal combined with the esthetic appeal of porcelain. The metal substructure provides excellent support and stability, while the porcelain outer layer mimics the natural translucency and color of teeth, resulting in a restoration that is both strong and esthetically pleasing.
The porcelain outer layer can be customized to match the color and shape of the surrounding teeth, creating a seamless blend with the natural dentition. This makes PFM crowns suitable for restoring front or visible teeth where esthetics are important.
Disadvantages
Despite their natural appearance, PFM crowns may not be as esthetically pleasing as all-ceramic crowns, especially for patients with thin or receding gum tissue. In some cases, a dark line may be visible at the gumline where the metal substructure meets the porcelain, detracting from the overall esthetics.
Over time, the porcelain outer layer of PFM crowns may wear down or chip, particularly if the patient has a habit of grinding or clenching their teeth. While the metal underneath provides excellent strength and support, a damaged porcelain layer cannot be repaired or replaced. Usually a PFM crown with broken porcelain would be replaced with a new crown.
Disadvantages of PFM Dental Crowns
Black line at Gum line
Crack/Broken Porcelain
Zirconia Crowns (Bruxzir)
Zirconia crowns, often known by the brand name Bruxzir, are dental restorations made from a strong and durable material called Zirconium dioxide. These crowns are renowned for their exceptional strength and lifelike appearance, making them a popular choice for dental restorations.
Advantages
Zirconia crowns are renowned for their unparalleled strength and durability. They are resistant to fractures, chips, and wear, making them an excellent choice for restoring both front and back teeth that undergo heavy chewing forces and those that suffer from Bruxism (clenching or grinding their teeth). There’s also no metal, so those with allergies aren’t affected.
Despite their incredible strength, zirconia crowns also offer a natural-looking appearance. The translucent properties of Zirconia closely resemble that of natural teeth, creating a restoration that blends seamlessly with the surrounding dentition. This makes zirconia crowns an ideal option for highly esthetic restorations without the weaknesses of porcelain.
Disadvantages
While zirconia crowns offer excellent strength and esthetics, they may lack the translucency of natural teeth or other dental materials like porcelain. In certain lighting conditions, zirconia crowns may appear slightly opaque, especially when compared to all-ceramic crowns. They are also harder than enamel and can cause the wearing of opposing natural teeth.
Lithium disilicate (eMax) Crowns
eMax Crowns are made from the esthetic dental ceramic material Lithium disilicate. eMax crowns and eMax veneers have the strength of a full metal crown and an esthetic translucency greater than porcelain. eMax crowns can withstand 400 MPa of force. Because of its high translucency, eMax are usually placed as veneers for front teeth where esthetics are the most important. When looking to create the most natural and esthetic beautiful smile, eMax crowns and veneers are the ideal options in cosmetic dentistry.
Lithium disilicate crowns, commonly known by the brand name eMax, are dental crowns made from a high-strength ceramic material. These crowns are renowned for their excellent esthetics, strength, and durability, making them a popular choice for dental restorations, particularly for front teeth.
Advantages
eMax crowns are prized for their lifelike appearance, closely mimicking the translucency and color of natural teeth. The ceramic material used in eMax crowns offers exceptional esthetics, blending seamlessly with the surrounding dentition for a natural-looking smile.
Along with their natural appearance, eMax crowns are incredibly strong and durable making them an excellent choice for front teeth restorations.
Disadvantages
eMax crowns tend to be more expensive than some other types of dental crowns due to the high-quality ceramic material and advanced technology used in their fabrication. And even though they are known for their durability, they may exhibit wear over time, particularly if you have a habit of grinding or clenching their teeth. Regular dental check-ups and maintenance may be necessary to ensure the longevity of eMax crowns.
Post & Core Buildup for Crowns
What is Post & Core Buildup?
When the tooth is severely broken down, a post and core is needed to build the foundation of the tooth back up, so it can have a crown made for the tooth. Post & Core buildup is often placed for teeth that had root canal treatment.
Crown lengthening for Crowns
What is Crown Lengthening?
When tooth decay has severely progressed below the gum line, or fractured beneath the gum line, crown lengthening is performed to allow complete removal of the decay and to create enough room for the crown to seat properly on the tooth. Crown lengthening is the removal of small amount of bone surrounding the broken-down tooth, to allow complete removal of the decay and allow the crown to seat properly on the tooth.
Post-Operative Instructions & Home Care
SENSITIVITY TO HOT & COLD
It is normal to experience some sensitivity to hot and cold after getting crowns or bridges done. The sensitivity will subside and go away with time. Give the tooth some time to heal. If there is sensitivity, you can use SENSODYNE SENSITIVITY Toothpaste to decrease the sensitivity.
AVOID: whitening toothpaste, acidic foods like Lemon, cherry, grapefruit.
SHARP PAIN WHEN BITING DOWN
Like going to a Tailor to get a new suit, the suit may need to be adjusted to be comfortable and perfect fit. When the tooth is still numb, you may not know if the bite feels high and is not a normal bite. If you experience pain when biting down, please give us a call so we can bring you back in to adjust the filling.
At Perfect Smile Dental Group in Whittier, we believe in doing things once and doing it right the first time; therefore, we only use high-end dental labs that use high quality material for dental crowns.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a dental crown cost?
Dental crown cost can vary depending on the material used and the geographical location. They range between $800 and $1600. Most dental insurance plans provide coverage for crowns. How much is covered depends on the insurance plan you purchased.
How does a crown last?
Dental crowns can last between 10 to 15 years. Good oral hygiene and routine dental check-ups can extend their longevity.
Which type of crown is recommended?
Which type of crown is recommended depends on the location of the crown and the patient’s needs. Is esthetic important? Do you grind your teeth?
Full Metal Cast Crowns provide strength and durability, but due to the gray metal core they do not like natural teeth. Full Metal Cast Crowns are not recommended for front teeth.
Porcelain Fused to metal Crowns (PFM) provide strength and greater esthetics compared to Full metal cast crowns. PFM crowns have 2 disadvantages: In patients with receding gum, the metal core show as black line at the gum line. The porcelain layer on the metal core often breaks in patients that grind their teeth or chew on hard foods/objects.
Zirconia Crowns (Bruxzir) provide the highest strength, durability and great esthetic. Since there is no metal core and no porcelain, there are no concerns with black line at the gum nor breaking of the porcelain. They can be placed on front teeth or back teeth. Zirconia crowns are ideal for grinding patients.
eMax Crowns provide the highest esthetic and great strength. eMax crowns are the most natural and beautiful crowns and are perfect for front teeth. eMax crowns are ideal if esthetic is the most important to you.
Is it painful to get a crown?
Modern dentistry has made the process of getting a crown painless. Local anesthesia is used to numb the area to ensure that you feel no pain during the procedure. Some mild sensitivity or discomfort after the procedure is normal, but it’s usually minor and temporary.
Does a crown require a root canal?
A crown does not require a root canal. Crowns are often placed after a root canal to protect the tooth, but they can also be used to restore a tooth’s shape or appearance without the need for a root canal.
How long do crowns take?
Getting a dental crown involves two visits to the dentist. At first visit, prepare the tooth, take impressions and place a temporary crown. At second visit, cement your permanent crown. Getting a dental crown usually takes two weeks.
How long do you have to wait to eat after a crown?
After getting a crown, you can eat as soon as the anesthesia wears off. With a temporary crown, avoid any sticky or hard foods as this can dislodge or break the temporary crown. Once your permanent crown is cemented, you can return to your normal eating habits.
What is a Post & Core Buildup?
Post & Core Buildup is a dental procedure used to rebuild the foundation of a severely broken-down tooth or an endodontically treated tooth before a crown can be made for that tooth.
What is Crown Lengthening?
Crown lengthening is the removal of small amount of bone surrounding the broken-down tooth, to allow complete removal of the decay and allow the crown to seat properly on the tooth.
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