Dental Crown

This one is actually fairly straightforward - you can think of a crown as a little cap for a damaged tooth. If you have a particularly large cavity - one that’s too big for a filling - your dentist might suggest you get a crown. You might also need a crown if your tooth is extremely worn down, cracked or weakened. Your local dentist might recommend a crown if you’ve had a root canal, since the tooth might need protection while it’s more fragile.

Crowns come in a variety of materials, including porcelain, ceramic, zirconia, metal and composite resin - and you might have a crown that’s made up of a combination, like a porcelain crown that’s been fused to metal. You can talk with dentists in your area about your personal preference, but when selecting the material, your dentist will advise on factors including the location and function of the tooth that needs the crown, the position of your gum tissue, and the colour of the surrounding teeth.

The lifespan of a crown is generally between five and fifteen years - and the material can affect this - as a general rule, gold crowns and porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns are the most robust, whilst all-ceramic and all-porcelain crowns are usually a little less strong - although they look more natural.

Temporary Crown

If you only need your crown to stay in your mouth for a short amount of time, your dentist will place a temporary crown over your tooth with an easily removable adhesive. Typically, you’ll be given a temporary crown while you wait for a permanent crown to be made. At a second appointment, your temporary crown will be removed and your permanent crown will be placed with a stronger adhesive.

One-Day Crown

Your local dentist might offer same-day crown installation if they have access to equipment like computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing - it’s called CAD/CAM. If your dentistry team offers you a one-day crown, it’ll be designed and crafted from a block of ceramic while you wait.

Onlay (or ¾) Crown

If you don’t need to cover the whole tooth with the crown, your dentist might offer you one of these instead - a specially made crown that only covers a certain part of your tooth.

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Not what you’re looking for? Take a look through our archives to find the dental procedure you’ve been offered, and to learn more about what to expect when you’re in the waiting room.