Root canal treatments may involve cutting a lot of tooth structure. The cleaned and shaped tooth is later filled with artificial materials and sealed completely. This results in considerable loss of strength of the tooth. Crowning becomes an essential procedure here; so as to protect further damage and infection in the operated area.
There are various types of crowns available. Some of them are mentioned below:
- Stainless Steel Crowns: These are mostly used as temporary substitute of permanent crowns. Children are mostly fitted with these crowns while fitting in a primary tooth.
- Metal Crowns: A metal alloy such as gold alloy or a base metal alloy are the best crowns that can be used. They can withstand highest levels of pressure, that other crowns may not survive. In addition, they require lesser removal of tooth structures. However, the only disadvantage is the visible metal color.
- Porcelain fused metal crowns: If you are looking for something that looks very natural, you can use these crowns. These crowns allow your dentist to match the color of your permanent crown to adjacent teeth. However, the durability is lesser as compared to pure metal crowns.
- All/Full Ceramic Crowns: Unlike metal fused to ceramic crowns, these crowns are entirely made of ceramic, without any metal core inside. They offer a more tooth like appearance in comparison to metal crowns and PFMs because of their translucency. However, they are more prone to fractures as compared to metal crowns.
- Zirconia Crowns: These crowns offer superior esthetics in comparison to other crowns with high strength and durability. They are ideal for both front and back teeth. Zirconia crowns are made from a single block of high strength ceramic which can be made only by using CAD-CAM technique. Usually these crowns come with warranty cards.
Cost of dental cap fitting in India range around INR 1500 to INR 20,000 approximately; depending upon the type of cap used.
All capping procedures start with tooth preparation or cutting to allow a 'seat' for the final crowns to be fixed on them. After the tooth is prepared, its measurements are taken and in the mean time, a temporary crown is provided which is later replaced by permanent crown. Therefore, avoid eating sticky or hard food items when you are on your temporary cap. However, you can get back to your normal eating habits when your tooth is shielded with permanent crowns.
The risk involved in crowning procedures is very thin and can be considered to be negligible. However still, if you feel any discomfort or sensitivity, you need to report to your dentist immediately. Cases where crowns fall off or result in discoloration of adjacent tooth are rare and have complex remedial methods.