Crowns, commonly referred to as “caps”, are fixed prosthetic restorations made to restore a damaged tooth to its original shape and size. Although they sometimes extend down onto the root surface, crowns essentially replace the outer aspect of the “crown” part of a natural tooth, so it makes sense that the restorations are called “crowns.”

Whenever teeth are badly damaged, cracked, broken, or misshapen, crowns are the most effective solution. Crowns restore the appearance, shape, and alignment of a damaged tooth. They’re permanently cemented and once affixed, the crown fully encases the portion of the damaged tooth that sits above the gum line. Crowns are custom made to fit over each tooth. They can be made of a variety of different materials, including ceramics, porcelain-and-metal, gold, or zirconia.

Fixed partial denutres, or commonly refered to as a “bridge”, is a prosthesis (replacement part) that relies on support from healthy teeth surrounding the gap left by a missing tooth or teeth. The artificial replacement tooth is called a “pontic” after the French “pont” for bridge. The healthy adjacent teeth, called abutments, provide support on either side — just like a bridge spanning a canyon.

In order for the abutment teeth to provide this crucial support, they must be crowned or “capped.” The process for doing this is the same as if these teeth needed crowns for any other reason — trauma or significant decay, for example. The crowns on the abutment teeth will be attached to a false tooth (pontic) in between. The pontic is really just another crown; the difference is that it has no tooth underneath. They to can be fabricated

advantages

• low chipping and fracture rate

• superior structural integrity

• monolithic structure and glass-ceramic system of lithium disilicate allows the material to take on translucent and light diffusing properties

• unlike porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns (PFM), all-porcelain crowns don’t have a problem of a dark line as they all made of white porcelain that perfectly imitates your natural tooth enamel

• superior strength and longevity

• highly resistant to corrosion, fracture and wear due to its strength

• high tolerance of biocompatibility

• very resistant to wear while gentle to adjacent teeth

• minimal amount of healthy tooth removal is necessary due to the strength of the metals

• can be polished and finished to a higher degree than other materials

• seals well to prevent leakage and recurrent tooth decay

• undesired aesthetics as a restorative material

• superior structural integrity

• better indicated in the fabrication of short and long span bridges

• long term clinical durability

• less preparation of the teeth than all porcelain restorations

• good esthetics and good resistance to staining

• the design of the metal (0.3mm) is required to provide sufficient support and strength

• metal display can result at the thin marginal area of the crown, resulting in a greying of the soft tissue over time

• opaque porcelain is essential to mask the color of the metal alloy, making the crown have an opaque appearence

• excellent aesthetic properties allows matching to the adjacent teeth

• extremely strong, requiring less tooth preparation than other materials

• biocompatible

• a very opaque material but can be layered with porcelain, further improving its aesthetic appearance

• difficult to adjust because of the extreme hardness of the material

• can be extremely abrasive to opposing natural teeth