A dental crown is basically an artificial tooth, which is used to replace or reshape a missing, damaged, or decayed tooth. A crown can be done on any tooth, including the front and back. Here, we will give you a complete guideline on the Front Tooth Crown.
What is a Front Tooth Crown?
When the missing or decayed tooth is present on the anterior region of the mouth, a front tooth crown is used. Crowns can best described as caps of the teeth. After the teeth are lost or damaged, it is covered with a cap, which bears the properties of the natural tooth. These caps are mainly dental crowns.
What are the types of crowns?
The front tooth crowns are mainly divided into two types. they are:
Full Tooth crown:
When the whole tooth is damaged, these types of crowns are used to replace the entire tooth. They are mainly used with removable or fixed partial dentures.
Onlays:
Onlays can also be described as partial tooth crowns. For example, if a tooth is damaged by half, then an onlay is used to replace the damaged portion and maintain the aesthetic as well as functionality.
What materials are used to make a dental crown?
The quality of a dental crown mostly depends on the material that has been used to build the product. there are different materials available, and the crowns are named based on the material used. Here are the materials used to prepare a front tooth crown:
- Metal Crown: Metals like nickel, and chromium are used to make these types of crowns. Metal crowns are the most durable type of crown, which can take all types of masticatory forces. They are mostly used in the posterior teeth for their strength. This type of crown is less aesthetic, that’s why they aren’t used as front tooth crowns.
- Porcelain Crowns: These types of crowns are now widely used in the United States because they provide a very pleasant aesthetic. they resemble the natural tooth and are also cheap. For the anterior tooth, a porcelain crown can be a good option.
- Porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns: These are hybrid crowns, which will give you the strength of a metal crown and also the aesthetic of porcelain crowns. They are good for both front and back teeth. However, the metals will be still visible in the gum line, which may be aesthetically unpleasant for some patients.
- Zirconia Crown: Zirconia crown is the best type of dental crown right now, because of their pleasing appearance and also a very good durability. The resembles a natural tooth and is also long-lasting. Due to their amazing properties, the cost of the Zirconia crowns is the highest in the United States.
- Gold Crowns: People who have a fascination with gold mainly go with these types of crowns. they come with a heavy cost and a golden color which may not be accepted by normal patients. but they provide good durability and strength.
Why do you need a front tooth crown?
Froth tooth crowns are needed for the following conditions:
To restore aesthetics:
Smile is the reflection of a person’s personality. If a person has a problem with the anterior teeth, his normal smiling will be hampered. Research shows that there is a great connection between the smile of an individual and his psychological health.
A front tooth may be lost or damaged for many reasons. With the front tooth crown, we can bring back the lost aesthetic and allow a patient to smile more confidently. The front tooth crown is mainly done for aesthetic purposes.
To restore functionality:
The main function of the front tooth is to cut foods into small pieces. When the tooth is decayed or damaged, it can’t maintain its functionality. This may cause many problems like insufficient choking, dietary problems, risk of choking, and many dental issues. So, a crown is used to maintain the functionality of the natural tooth.
After root canal therapy:
Many of you may be familiar with the root canal therapy. When infection is spread into the pulp chamber, RCT is done to retain the tooth. The pulpal floor and the pulp chamber are opened during the procedure.
After sealing, the access has to be closed permanently, otherwise, there may be a risk of recurrent infection of food accumulation inside the tooth. Most dentists prefer crowns in this case, for permanent closure of the root canal access cavity, and also to maintain the aesthetic and function.
Read Also: Single Tooth Implant Cost Without Insurance
Front Tooth Crown Procedure:
The front tooth crown procedure is a non-surgical and non-invasive procedure. In most of the cases, The patient doesn’t feel any pain during or after the procedures. Here are the steps of the procedure:
- At first, you have to consult a dentist. He will perform all the clinical examinations and decide if you are okay to go with the procedure.
- The dentist will come up with a treatment plan. You may have to visit more than once to complete the treatment.
- The dentist will perform local anesthesia to make the treatment pleasant on your first visit. If you have a faulty tooth, the decayed or the damaged parts will be removed at first.
- The dentist will take an impression of the tooth and send it to the lab. A temporary crown will be placed into the missing part until the crown is prepared in the lab.
- When the crown preparation is complete, you will have to visit the dentist. The dentist will ask you to try the crown to see the fit. The dentist will trim the crown to make it fit better and comfortable.
- You may face minor pain and discomfort after putting on the crown. This will be temporary. If the discomfort persists, you have to tell your doctor about it in your next routine visit.
What is the Cost of a dental crown:
The pricing of the crowns varies depending on the quality of the material and state. The most expensive is the Zirconia Crowns, the prize range varies from $1000-$3000. Porcelain crowns cost almost the same as the Zirconia Crowns ranging from $800-$3,000. The price of Gold crowns varies from $600-$2,500.
Here is the list of different types of crowns used for the front tooth:
- Gold crowns: $600-$2,500
- All-porcelain crowns: $800-$3,000
- Zirconia Crowns: $1000-$3000
- Porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns can cost: $500-$1,500
How much does the insurance cover?
If you already have dental insurance, they will mostly cover a good portion of the cost of the treatment. In the USA, insurance will cover up to 50% of the treatment cost. But you have to keep in mind that. most medical insurance doesn’t cover dental procedures. For that, you will need separate dental insurance or medical insurance which covers both the medical and the dental procedures.
Who can’t take a front tooth crown?
There are some conditions when the front tooth crowns are contraindicated. If you have one of those, you will need to go for alternate treatment options. here are the cases when the treatment shouldn’t be done:
- Severe tooth decay: In the case of severe tooth decay, when the tooth is totally unrestorable, you can’t go with a dental crown. The tooth has to be extracted and replaced by dental implants.
- Gum Disease: If you have severe gum diseases like acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis or chronic gingivitis, you can’t choose the procedure.
- Tooth Mobility: Dental crown is contraindicated in case of mobile tooth. The tooth can’t give adequate support to the crown, and in most of the cases, the treatment fails.
- Insufficient space: If you don’t have adequate space in between the adjacent teeth, and choose to use a dental crown, you may face orthodontic problems like croding in the anterior segment.
- Infection: Dental crowns can’t be done in infected teeth of teeth with periodontal abscess. This will increase the spread of infection.
How to take care of the crown?
Most people forget to take good care of dental crowns. There are certain steps that can increase the durability of the Front Tooth Crown, like:
- Avoid grinding hard food with the dental crown.
- You should brush your teeth regularly, this will help to maintain your overall oral health.
- Don’t try to adjust or fix the crown yourself, if any problem occurs, visit your dentist.
- If you notice any changes in the adjacent gingiva, visit your dentist.