Leoncio A. Garza, DDS

Graduate of UTHSC San Antonio
1-Year Advanced Education in General Dentistry Residency
Fellow of The Academy of General Dentistry

Dental Services

What Are Crowns?
Crowns are like little helmets that fit over the tooth and enclose it completely.
There are many types of products which can be used to make crowns with.
Some crowns can be made completely from metal, such as: gold or stainless steel.
Some can be made from a combination of porcelain and metal. The porcelain is baked
on top of the metal in special furnaces and it adheres or bonds to the metal sub-structure.
Others can be made completely of porcelain and a special crystalline sub-structure
with no metal at all.

How Are Teeth Prepared For Crowns?
The preparation for a crown is very similar to the way they are prepared for fillings.
Typically a highspeed handpiece is used with a diamond coated bur and the outside
surface of the tooth is shaved enough to create enough space for the crown. The amount
of tooth structure that needs to be removed depends on the type of material that is going
to be used to make the crown. Enough tooth structure must be removed in order to create
enough clearance for the crown to fit snuggly into place and not create any kind of
interference while chewing. If the crown doesn't fit well or is not seated correctly
it may hurt after a day or two if it hits before the neighboring teeth. This is because
you are asking this tooth to absorb more chewing force than the others.

How Long Do Crowns Last?
That is the twenty million dollar question. Every patient and every tooth postion
will have different results. On average, the crown should last over ten years if properly
maintained. There are many reasons why a crown could fail but mainly because of: recurrent
decay, tooth cracked below the crown, and perforation on the top of the crown due to severe
grinding. There are other reasons but they are less likely.