Dental Crowns: What They Are and When They're Used
If a dentist has told you that you need a crown, the useful questions are the simple ones: what a crown is, when one is used, and how long it lasts. This article covers those three, along with the difference between a crown and a veneer, which are easy to confuse.
What a dental crown is
A dental crown is a tooth-shaped cap that restores a decayed, broken, weak or worn-down tooth. A crown fits over your entire tooth, like a snug hat, and to ensure a proper fit a dentist will need to remove a small amount of enamel before bonding the new crown in place (Cleveland Clinic).
When a dentist uses a crown
A crown is used to restore a decayed, broken, weak or worn-down tooth, and dentists also use crowns to cover dental implants and root canal-treated teeth (Cleveland Clinic).
How long a crown lasts
How long a crown lasts is often the next question. Crowns last between five and 15 years with proper care (Cleveland Clinic).
Crowns and veneers are not the same thing
Veneers come up in the same conversations, and the two are not interchangeable. A porcelain veneer only covers the front surface of a tooth to enhance its appearance, while a dental crown covers the entire tooth structure to add strength and protection. Veneers improve your smile, but they don't necessarily strengthen or repair your teeth; dental crowns can also improve the appearance of your teeth, but their main purpose is to restore teeth that are badly damaged by decay or trauma (Cleveland Clinic). Put another way, veneers are different from crowns because they cover only the front surface of a tooth rather than the entire tooth structure (American Dental Association (MouthHealthy)).
What this article does not cover
Two companion articles pick up where this one stops: crown materials for front teeth and getting a crown, step by step. A third covers what root canal treatment involves.
Next step
Our office is at 147 Main St, 2nd Floor, Lodi, NJ 07644, and Dr. Steven Liao is our dentist. The next step, if you want one, is our first-visit page.
Sources
- Cleveland Clinic. "Dental Crowns." Updated 2023-04-14. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/10923-dental-crowns
- Cleveland Clinic. "Veneers." Updated 2022-07-18. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/23522-dental-veneers
- American Dental Association (MouthHealthy). "Veneers." https://www.mouthhealthy.org/all-topics-a-z/veneers
