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FAQ - Dental Crown

What Is A Dental Crown?

 A dental crown is a form of dental prosthetic. It is the replacement of the visible portion of your tooth, what is also referred to as the crown of the tooth. The crown can be atop a dental implant, or attached to the remains of the tooth it is replacing, or it can be anchored to a tooth next to it.

What is zirconium? Why are zirconium crowns more expensive?

Zirconium oxide is a composite mineral material that is used in dentistry. It occurs very rarely in nature, in the form of tazheranite. It is more expensive because it needs to be synthesized in a laboratory; zirconium oxide as a standalone compound never occurs in nature.

Why are the outside of all of the crowns made of the same material?

Porcelain is used as an outer shell because it is hard, easy to clean, and resembles the enamel coated surface of a living tooth. The difference is in the structure the porcelain is fused to. Upon request we can make crowns out of precious metals such as gold as well, and the pricing of that will be different. If you would like to know more about this option, mention it to your dentist and she will make you an alternative treatment plan that will include the price of the crowns in question.

What To Do If A Crown Fell Off

One of the most frequently booked emergency appointments is crown recementation. Crowns can come off for a wide variety of reasons, and many times they can be recemented in the safety and comfort of your own home. But this is only sometimes the case, very often the crown will need to be recemented or even replaced by a dentist at a dental clinic. This article is meant to help you identify the situations in which you can easily recement a crown at home, and what situations demand the attention of a professional dentist.

When You Can’t Recement

If the structural integrity of the tooth has been compromised, you will not be able to recement the crown back to the tooth. Your tooth will need to be reshaped and possibly even refilled by a dentist.

This means that if the crown came off because of any changes to the tooth itself, like breakage, cracking, shifting, or crumbling of the tooth that holds the crown, then you should not recement. You probably wouldn’t be able to, as the crown will no longer fit the tooth, but if you force it, you may end up damaging the crown, the remains of the tooth or of adjacent teeth, or your gums when you bite and chew.
If the crown fell off because it broke off, or because bits or pieces of the crown came out or became removed, you will need to see a dentist. Do not recement a cracked, broken or structurally impaired crown, as there may be sharp edges, sides that can cut the mucous membrane inside your mouth, or your tongue or gums, and the crown may harm the tooth it is on as well.  

When You Can Recement

You can recement a crown only if the cementation is the problem, if the adherent will not hold anymore. This is the only case in which it can be manually recemented at home. Sometimes, crowns will just pop off, as no adherent, not even super high grade dental cement lasts forever. In these cases, and only these cases, the crown may be reattached without seeing a dentist.

How To Recement

There are many articles and websites on the internet that can help you with reattaching a missing crown. I have gathered the information form all of them, and will give you a step by step on how to reattach the dental crown in the safest way possible. But first, the disclaimer: you will need to see a dentist sooner or later, as this is only a temporary solution, meant to hold you over until a trained medical professional can look at your tooth.

First off, make sure the crown fits back on properly, try just placing it back on, if it fits, you are good to go. Clean the tooth vigorously, floss it, apply mouthwash to make sure no bacteria are living on the tooth. After this, with a cloth, dry the tooth completely. After this, wash and clean the crown in mouthwash or any other non-toxic antibacterial compound. Mix the cement, and fill the crown about halfway with the dental cement. Place the crown on the tooth, and bite down as hard as you can. Keep on biting for about 2-3 minutes, to make sure that the crown can get a good grip on your tooth. Some dental cement will probably come off, but not to worry, as the substance is non-toxic, and should not cause a reaction. Once the cement has solidified, remove any excess cement that may have come off with dental floss. Beware though, do not pop the dental floss out, as this may remove the crown. Simply let it slide out between your teeth. After this is done, call and book an appointment with your dentist, just to make sure you did everything right.    

Why do crowns fall off?

There can be a number of reasons why a crown falls off. Either the crown itself, or the tooth below it, or the method of adhesion have become compromised. Some of these situations are not a big problem, while some of them carry quite large expenses with them.

The most common and least costly issue that will make a crown pop off of the tooth is that the adhesion no longer works, the adhesive has lost effect. Depending on the angle of the tooth and the crown, it may be the case that the dental adhesive is constantly in touch with your saliva, which will erode it over time.

It may also be the case that the crown itself becomes damaged or a piece of it chips off, and thus it can no longer be put on the tooth in any sensible way at all. This is incredibly rare, and if it happens within the guarantee time of the crown, the crown will be replaced for free.

The tooth underneath the crown may deteriorate to the extent that the crown will fall off of it. Remember, the crown was fitted for the tooth when the tooth was still in the condition it was in. If the condition of the tooth worsens, the crown will become compromised.   

Can I Decorate My Crown With Tooth Jewelry?

 Absolutely! Crowns can be manufactured from gold or precious metals, or even diamonds, or tooth jewelry can be added onto the crown’s surface. You can also engrave the surface, although the text will eventually become illegible from wear and tear. The walls of crowns grow thinner and thinner as the years go by, and the jewels will eventually become dislodged, and they may stain or become discolored, depending on which tooth they are on and what your dietary habits are like.