A crown is a wrap that is placed as an extreme resource, around a fractured tooth, when there is a high risk of fracture or when the tooth has very large cavities.
The crown fulfills the functions of bonding a bridge that fills the space created by missing teeth, repairing a weak tooth, supporting and covering a tooth, replacing a misshapen tooth, correcting misaligned teeth.
Among the functions mentioned, all of them aimed at recovering the correct bite and the aesthetic factor, the most frequent solution comes from the need to solve the problems caused by decays.
In fact, dental decays is the most widespread oral pathology in the world. It is characterized by damaging the enamel of a tooth and, sometimes, also adjacent ones.
The treatment requires the use of two types of crown: a temporary one, to verify that it is the ideal one for the treatment of the patient and a definitive one, which is made during the period in which the patient is using the temporary crown.
In the preparation of crowns, various materials can be used and the decision of the product to use depends on the treatment that the patient needs. Among the materials used for dental crowns, in Costa Rica, are:
Porcelain: Ceramic dental crowns are the most common, due to their color stability (similar to that of natural teeth), their biocompatibility and their reduced price.
Metals: Such as platinum, gold, and nickel. They are very durable, but they do not help much with aesthetics and the patient may be allergic to any of the metals mentioned.
Combined metals: It consists of the manufacture of crowns in which metal (on the inside of the crown) and porcelain (on the outside) are combined. Crowns made using this technique are durable, but if the gingiva retracts over time, it can expose some of the metal.
Zirconium: It is also a metal, but it has great advantages, in relation to others, because its appearance is similar to that of a natural tooth and because its biocompatibility with the prosthesis minimizes the probability of rejection or the appearance of allergic reactions.
Resins: Resins, acetate and polycarbonate are materials that are basically used in temporary crowns, due to their low resistance and easy discoloration process.
As can be seen, the selection of the material for a dental crown depends on preferences and, primarily, that the patient is not susceptible to allergies to heavy metals, such as nickel, gold or platinum.
Prevent cavities and avoid additional procedures
As we said at the beginning, the need to resort to a crown comes, in the vast majority of the time, from the presence of cavities. At Costa Rica Cero Caries we prepare ourselves to provide dental services that will avoid costly setbacks.
We promote a population without cavities through collaborative payments, so that anyone who needs can access dental treatments.
