One of the most common features of restorative dentistry is the positioning of a dental crown. The dental crown procedure comprises the sealing of a weakened tooth with a covering, enhancing its functional and cosmetic features.
It is a possibility that teeth require a crown if there has been an injury, tooth decay, or after performing a root canal surgery. Are you considering a dental crown treatment? Or have your Northern Beaches dentist advised you to get one? In that case, it’s imperative that you comprehend the distinction between a temporary and a permanent dental crown.
Both these crowns can form a part of the dental crown procedure. However, the materials used in constructing these crowns are different, as well as their functionality and lifespan.
What Is a Dental Crown Treatment?
Dental crown treatment involves carefully placing the cap over the tooth.
The primary aim of rehabilitation with such a prosthesis is to restore the functional properties and external appearance of the tooth and keep it protected from damage. Crowns also most often form a part of both the dental crowns and bridges, where dental bridges are used for replacing one or more missing teeth and are supported by the crowns.
A dental crown procedure is approximately a two-step process:
- The first stage includes preparing the tooth and putting in a temporary crown,
- The second or last stage involves putting in a permanent crown after it has been created in a dental laboratory.
Temporary Crowns
A temporary crown is used for a recently prepared tooth with the aim of covering it before the final crown is completed. These crowns are not intended to be long-term devices but act as a very useful way of occupying space, provided that no more trauma or irritation of that area occurs first.
Some Characteristics of Temporary Crowns:
Material: Construction of these types of crowns is not overly complex. Instead, less strong materials, such as acrylic or stainless steel, are employed. Even though they are strong enough to withstand everyday life, they are not designed for more than a couple of weeks or months.
Fabrication: Temporary crowns are often made either at the dental office or by a technician, and the creation processes do not normally take long. Due to its temporary nature, this type of crown will not be as well-fitting and well-looking.
Functionality: Temporary crowns act as covers for your tooth, minimize hypersensitivity, and stop neighboring teeth from moving while the crown is being fabricated by your dentist Northern Beaches. However, all these advantages have a downside because they are not as long-lasting and may not perform the same chewing functions as the permanent crown.
Aesthetics: Temporary crowns are not as cosmetically appealing as permanent ones in most cases. They are not as well created as the permanent ones, which will get the appropriate colour and form suited for the user.
Why Would You Ever Need A Temporary Crown?
The temporary crown protects the tooth and gums until a custom-made permanent crown is ready to support the structure of the tooth and cover the tooth. This period can vary anywhere from 3 days to a couple of weeks or more, depending on the details of your dental case.
It is best to follow your dentist’s recommendations even with a temporary crown because it can come off, and complications can arise when one bites into certain types of foods (sticky or hard, usually).
Permanent Crowns
The most important part of the dental crown treatment is the placement of a permanent crown. The design and ergonomics of the permanent crowns make them simple to fit on your tooth, as they provide restoration of both form, function, and even appearance.
Important Features
Material: Most permanent crowns are made of stronger, more resistant materials like porcelain, ceramics, metals, and other alloys, such as porcelain fused with metal.
Fabrication: Permanent crowns are made in a laboratory after taking impressions of the prepared tooth. This ensures that the patient has a proper fitting, precise bite alignment, and a natural appearance.
Durability: They are meant for tooth restoration for a long duration, usually 10 to 15 years.
Aesthetics: Permanent crowns are made in a way that they resemble the natural color of the teeth and cause no changes in the smile.
When Will You Need a Permanent Crown?
The time you will be scheduled to come back to the dentist is when your permanent crown is finished. The dentist will carefully remove the previously placed temporary crown, disinfect the prepared tooth, and make the permanent crown placement over it.
The dentist will then check if the fit, bite, and alignment within the patient’s mouth are correct for comfort. When satisfied, there can be no more removal of the permanent crown as it is fixed in position by means of cement.
Temporary vs Permanent Dental Crowns: A Quick Comparison
Conclusion
It is important to note the differences between temporary vs permanent dental crowns. Temporary crowns provide only a short-term solution. In contrast, it is the permanent crowns that enable, over time, the restoration of both the function and the look of your tooth.
If you wish to improve your teeth with dental crowns and bridges, it is better to contact one of the specialists in treatment planning in Northern Beaches – they will choose the most appropriate materials as well as the optimal method of treatment. It does not matter whether most crowns will be temporary or permanent; you can be assured that appropriate dental management will keep your smile young and attractive for years.
