Dental Crowns

At the Neem Tree, we use only the most advanced dental materials for our crowns which are built to last. Our dental crowns are available in a variety of different materials, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. These materials are carefully selected by your dentist, depending on the needs of your teeth.

Porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns

These dental crowns are created from 2 main components. The inner core is crafted using a metal alloy, which gives them increased strength and durability. The outer shell is then created using several layers of porcelain, which is bonded to the inner metal core. Along with fully ceramic crowns, porcelain-fused crowns offer the best aesthetic replacement for natural teeth, (especially when compared with gold alloy crowns). These kinds of crowns are often used for teeth further forward in the mouth, as they best resemble your natural teeth. They are also suitable for teeth further back in the mouth. This is because the inner metal core gives added durability to withstand the wear and tear of constant chewing and biting.

All-porcelain crowns

Unlike Porcelain-fused-to-metal dental crowns, these crowns are fully crafted using only several layers of porcelain. They do not have a metal inner core of supporting structure. Since the metal core may sometimes show through the porcelain (especially if your gums have receded), all-porcelain crowns offer the best replacement for natural teeth in terms of aesthetics. Some patients have allergies to certain metals, in such cases all-porcelain crowns are often the best and safest option.

Historically, dental crowns have usually been created using metal alloys. Often made using a gold alloy, metal crowns can also be made using bio-compatible material such as Nickel and Chromium. Their metal structure gives them far greater strength and durability, allowing them to withstand the constant stress of chewing, biting and grinding of teeth. However, they do stand out quite vividly next to naturally coloured teeth and even porcelain crowns.

This fact, coupled with their durability, makes them ideal for replacing molars. This is due to the fact that they are further back, and so out of sight, but also because molars bear the brunt of work in terms of chewing. Unfortunately, they can be more expensive than other materials (especially gold allow) and are unsuitable for patients with metal allergies.

Old opaque crowns with discoloured margins can be safely replaced with newer full ceramic options which are extremely strong and ‘natural’ looking.

If much of a tooth is missing either due to dental decay or trauma, sometimes a filling just wont suffice. More extensive coverage is needed and dental crowns fulfil this role. Instances in which you may need a dental crown include:

– To replace a filling in an unstable or particularly decayed tooth.
– To prevent weakened teeth from fracturing.
– To cover a tooth that has already fractured.
– To support a bridge
– To support a dental implant
– To protect a tooth that has undergone root canal treatment
– To improve the aesthetics of a decayed or stained tooth.