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Dental Crown

Crown restorations replace missing parts of teeth or even individual teeth. They are most commonly supported by endodontically treated tooth stumps. The aim is to replicate the natural teeth in terms of function, shape and colour.

A crown is a laboratory-made shell that covers a prepared tooth and restores its anatomical shape. It is used when a tooth has been extensively damaged by decay and can no longer be restored with a dental filling or a minimally invasive prosthetic restoration such as an inlay or onlay. A crown can also serve as a supporting element in larger prosthetic restorations, such as bridges or removable dentures.

What Types of Crowns Are Available?

Acrylic crown is made from resin in a colour matching the existing teeth. It has limited mechanical resistance and is suitable only as a temporary, transitional solution.
Cast full-coverage crown is made from gold alloys or non-precious metals. It has good mechanical properties but is aesthetically unsuitable.
Resin- or composite-veneered crown has a metal framework covered on the outer surface with a tooth-coloured resin veneer. It has good mechanical properties but is not as aesthetically refined as a ceramic crown.
Porcelain-fused-to-metal crown (metal-ceramic crown) consists of an inner metal framework covered with ceramic material matched to the colour of the tooth. It offers good mechanical durability and, when properly made, excellent aesthetics.
All-ceramic crown has no internal metal framework and offers a highly natural appearance, making it particularly suitable for visible areas of the dentition. Its physical properties are very similar to those of a natural tooth – it expands with heat and contracts with cold – and it naturally transmits light. Ceramic is also hypoallergenic and, unlike crowns with a metal core, does not oxidise or release substances. Modern technology also provides ceramic crowns with sufficient strength.

All-ceramic crowns offer the highest level of aesthetics and biocompatibility.

Acrylic crowns are currently used only as temporary restorations while the definitive crown is being made. Their role is nevertheless very important, as temporary crowns protect the prepared tooth from infection and irritation during eating.

At our dental practice, you can choose between all-ceramic and porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns.