Dental crowns

Dental crowns are a procedure, available at our Agenskalna Dental Clinic  to strengthen or improve the appearance of damaged teeth. They are an artificial restoration that’s placed over an existing tooth, which may need to be carefully filed down first, to act as a cap on top of it.

They can be used for many purposes. For example, to preserve a weakened tooth from fracturing, to replace a large dental filling when insufficient tooth is remaining, to protect a tooth after root canal treatment, to hold a dental bridge in place, or to cover a poorly shaped or discoloured tooth.

A dental crown can be made from a range of different materials, with ceramic, porcelain, or porcelain bonded to metal being the most commonly used ones. What material is used for your crown will depend on the reason for needing the crown and the location of the tooth needing the crown.

During the preparation stage, we will note the colour of the teeth either side of the one where the crown will be fitted, and ensure that the colour of the custom crown we make matches those so the final result looks natural.

Four visits to our clinic are normally required for the dental crown procedure to be completed. At the first visit, we will prepare your tooth for the crown, take impressions for the crown, and fit a temporary crown. At the second and third visit, the temporary crown will be removed and we will try on the crown. At the fourth visit, we will replace a temporary crown with the permanent one.

The permanent crown will only be fixed permanently in place after you’ve confirmed you’re happy with the colour, shape and fit of it. It will be fixed in place using a special, long lasting dental adhesive. Properly cared for, it should last for many years, with 5-15 years being the average.

A local anaesthetic will be used for the procedure, meaning you will feel no pain. Some level of discomfort is possible, though should be no more than felt when having a filling fitted.