Dental Crowns

Porcelain & Front Tooth
Crowns

A dental crown is a restoration that can be used for a number of purposes. One of the most common uses of a dental crown is to restore a tooth that is significantly damaged or decayed. The crown is custom-made to fit over the entire tooth, starting at the gum line, in order to restore the tooth to its original shape and size. Dental crowns can be made of gold, porcelain or porcelain fused to metal; porcelain crowns are popular because they match the natural colour and appearance of your teeth.

Woman smiling while her tooth colour is being matched for a new dental crown

Crowns can also be used for a number of other restorative and aesthetic purposes, including to:

Protect a tooth following root canal treatment
Anchor and attach a dental bridge
Cover and complete a dental implant
Enhance the beauty of your smile
Strengthen a tooth that is fractured or weak
Support a large filling when little natural tooth structure remains

Frequently Asked Questions

As long as the dental crown is properly placed and bonded on a tooth, and it is properly taken care of with good dental hygiene habits, it can last anywhere from 10 to 30 years. 

A crown and a cap are two names for the same thing. There is no difference between the two. People who don’t work in dentistry often refer to crowns as caps which is what they were originally called. 

Once a new crown has been cemented in place, you must wait at least one hour to eat anything. This will allow the cement to set and harden, fixing the crown in place. At this point, most foods are okay to eat, except sticky foods such as candy, caramel or gum.

Regular flossing should not loosen a crown unless there is another reason for the cement underneath the crown to break like clenching and cavities.

The only time a root canal treatment is needed is when the tissue inside the tooth, known as the “pulp tissue”, is inflamed or a tooth is infected. Most cases that require a dental crown don’t require a root canal because the existing pulp tissue has not become infected. Your dentist will assess the tooth at multiple points to ensure this remains the case before placing a dental crown.