In the past, patients and dentists have been slightly reluctant to use dental crowns unless absolutely necessary. This is because the old laboratory made crowns could often be bulky and require significant enamel removal to allow them to fit naturally over the top of the tooth. Removing otherwise healthy enamel is never ideal so dentists would often opt to use other treatments such as fillings and dental bonding.
Crowns are generally required when teeth are damaged or have been subject to a dental procedure and need strengthening. A crown itself is a tooth-shaped piece of porcelain (although crowns can be made form other materials, including gold) which covers all parts of the existing damaged tooth above the gum line. This helps to protect the teeth from exposure to further damage.
Crown technology has improved significantly in the last twenty years and it is now even possible to use computer technology to produce stronger, thinner crowns in a fraction of the time. Using the latest computer aided digital imaging, dentists can design crowns to incredibly accurate levels on the computer before manufacturing them almost instantly with a computer-guided milling machine. As the crowns are made from single pieces of porcelain they are much stronger so they can afford to be thinner. That means less, if any enamel needs to be removed prior to fixing.
This new technology available at Leeds dentists has completely changed the relationship patients and dentists have with crowns, which are now easier and more efficient to use than many other treatments.
Tags: dental bonding, dental crowns
