Advanced Dentistry provides a dental crowns service to patients throughout Glasgow, Edinburgh and Central Scotland. Tooth substance loss, wear or fracture may result in a decreased volume of remaining tooth in the mouth.
In such cases, a crown (or it’s sometimes referred to as a cap) is required to restore the form, function and aesthetics of the tooth. These restorations involve the careful preparation of the remaining tooth volume to a retentive form and an impression is made to record this.
The laboratory team then constructs the crown restoration from the material desired as listed below. While the definitive crown is being constructed, a temporary crown is made and fitted over the prepared tooth to protect it until the definitive restoration is fitted. The final crown is returned from the laboratory and cemented in place to restore the form and function of the tooth.
Crowns can be constructed from the following materials:
Acrylic crowns
A low cost, quickly manufactured but fragile crown material generally used for the construction of short to medium term temporary crowns.
Composite crowns
A low cost, quickly manufactured crown with more strength than the acrylic crown. Generally used for the construction of short to medium term temporary crowns, particularly in the aesthetic zone at the front of the mouth.
Porcelain crowns
These crowns are constructed entirely from porcelain to give a very aesthetic result which is bonded onto the prepared tooth. Ideal for use in the aesthetic zone at the front of the mouth, however, these crowns can be brittle and so are not indicated in cases where the forces are such that the crowns may be liable to fracture.
Gold crowns
These crowns are made entirely of gold (as in dental gold). The crowns are silver in colour and represent a strong functional crown option, however, the use of these crowns, given their colour, is generally restricted to the back of the mouth.
Bonded crowns
These use the benefits of both porcelain and gold crowns mentioned above. They are constructed by hand, individually, using a metal substructure for strength, onto which porcelain is layered and fused giving an aesthetic surface layer which is visible in the mouth. The type of metal used to construct these crowns (precious or non-precious) dictates the cost of these crowns. These crowns are very popular and function well, however, in time, any recession in the gum can lead to small black lines becoming apparent at the gum line which represent the metal layer showing through.
Zirconia, metal-free crowns
These crowns represent some of the best available both in terms of incorporated materials and technology. The cores of these crowns are constructed using CAD/CAM technology to produce a white zirconia substructure which is extremely close-fitting and strong. Porcelain is built up onto this structure and fused to complete the final crown which is then cemented into the mouth. These crowns are among some of the most aesthetic crowns available.
Your attention is drawn to the following statement:
Any dental restoration or appliance is a custom-made medical device that has been manufactured to satisfy the design characteristics and properties specified by the prescribing clinician.
This medical device is intended for exclusive use by you as a named patient and conforms to the relevant essential requirements specified in Annex I of the Medical Devices Directive 93/42/EC (MDD) and the United Kingdom Medical Devices Regulations. A statement of manufacture detailing the specifications of your prosthesis/medical device is kept in your records, a copy of which is available to you on request.
