When you go to a dentist for a big cavity or broken tooth, you might be advised to get a crown. A crown covers your tooth to protect it. It allows you to save your tooth and the root so you won't have a gap in your teeth. Getting a crown is a common dental procedure that you might need at some point. Here's what crowns are made from and how they're put in your mouth.

Crowns Can Color-Match Your Natural Teeth

The material you use for your crown might depend on the location of your bad tooth. If it's in the front of your mouth, you may want the crown to blend in well with your other teeth. If the crown will replace a back tooth, durability may be the most important consideration since the back teeth do the most chewing.

Porcelain is a good choice for a front tooth since it looks a lot like a natural tooth. Porcelain isn't as strong as some other choices, so it may have metal added so you can bite without chipping the crown.

Ceramic is another option that can be color-matched to your teeth. It's a little lighter than porcelain, so it's not quite as durable since ceramic crowns don't have added metal. Gold alloy crowns are the most durable. They're a good choice for back teeth since they're so strong and they won't be as noticeable in the back. You can have a gold alloy crown put on a front tooth if you like the way it looks. However, gold is a more expensive option.

Crowns Are Often Made In A Separate Lab

Some dentists have equipment in the office that can make a crown on the same day as your dental visit. However, it's common for a dentist to use an outside lab to make the crown. When this happens, you'll need to wait a few weeks after having impressions made to get your crown put on.

The dentist takes impressions of your teeth so the new crown will be an exact fit for your mouth. They might have you bite on a mold or take digital images of your teeth. These are sent to the lab and used as a guide for creating the crown. Since this process might take a few weeks, your dentist will probably put a temporary crown over your tooth to protect it until the permanent crown can be cemented in place.

Crowns Need Good Dental Care

A crown needs to be cared for just like a natural tooth. You should brush and floss it just like your other teeth. This keeps sugar, food, and bacteria off the crown so you can prevent gum disease that could spread to your other teeth.

You can get one crown or several to restore your smile and improve your ability to eat. Although they're not natural and they won't get cavities, the crowns need to be cared for properly to maintain good oral health.