Dental Crowns and Onlays (sometimes called ‘caps’) restore a tooth to its natural shape and appearance or to strengthen a tooth. Dental crowns are often used for teeth that are broken, worn, or have portions destroyed by decay. They are cemented onto an existing tooth, which fully cover the portion of your tooth above the gum line. Essentially, the crown becomes your tooth’s new outer surface. Ceramic materials similar to tooth enamel are custom shaped and bonded to the tooth to make it look like new. Long lasting gold is an option for less visible molars.
Dental crowns are often the preferred choice to silver amalgam fillings. Crowns are created in a lab from your unique tooth impression, which allows a dental laboratory technician to examine all aspects of the bite and jaw movements. The crown is then sculpted to perfection, so that your bite and jaw movements function normally once the crown is placed.