Dental Crowns
If you’re self-conscious about your smile because of cracked, broken, decayed, or worn teeth, Dr. Stewart may recommend dental crowns. Dental crowns can be used for the following:
- Build up worn teeth
- Close spaces between teeth
- Change the angle of teeth
- Replace missing teeth
- As part of a bridge or dental implant
Crowns are a durable, strong, and long-lasting way to restore a tooth with extensive damage. Crowns cover the part of a tooth above the gumline, also called the crown, and when fabricated with dental porcelain or zirconia, look totally natural. In some cases, however, metal or porcelain-fused-to-metal is preferred for durability, particularly in the case of molars.
Also called partial crowns or ¾ crowns, inlays and onlays are the treatment option between a crown and a filling. Inlays and onlays are made in a dental lab with porcelain, zirconia, or metal, like a crown. However, they do not cover the entire tooth. Inlays fit between the cusps, or bumps, on the top of a tooth. Onlays fit over a cusp and down the side of a tooth. These partial crowns provide a conservative alternative to a full dental crown.