Crowns

Dental Crowns are a time-tested and proven dental treatment suitable for all patients which reliably achieve excellent outcomes for teeth which are cracked, decayed, weakened, or discoloured.

A crown can be placed on a single tooth or over multiple teeth to transform the appearance of your smile instantly and totally, or to top a completed dental implant once healed as the crowning restoration that fills an unsightly gap in your smile with a perfect new tooth.

At Truly Dental we use only the latest, state-of-the-art materials to ensure that you receive a highly aesthetic, reliable result which is virtually indistinguishable from your natural teeth. 

How do Dental Crowns work?

How do Dental Crowns work?

A number of factors over the course of our lifetimes can lead to our teeth weakening, becoming damaged and ultimately breaking or fracturing – heavy daily wear and tear; tooth decay; or even a large dental filling can lead to a tooth splitting. This can be a great cause of concern for patients who experience recurrent discomfort or toothache, or whose tooth frequently fractures in public causing embarrassment.

Thankfully dental crowns are a great way to reinforce and safeguard your natural tooth, prolonging its lifespan and minimising the risk of a future surgical tooth extraction. This treatment involves first preparing the affected tooth to receive a crown by removing any damaged or weakened tooth structure. The dental crown is then placed on top to ‘cap’ the weakened tooth, strengthening the natural tooth, restoring its shape, and improving its appearance.

Nowadays the materials used for dental crowns are not only highly durable but also designed to be maximally aesthetically pleasing. The majority of crowns at Truly Dental are fabricated from ceramic, but a range of options for materials is available.

Each dental crown we fit in our clinic has been custom-made to fit the patient’s original tooth by highly skilled dental technicians. The crowns themselves are formed from casts made on-site of your own teeth and are colour-matched to your natural tooth-colour, so they blend flawlessly into the surrounding teeth and appear fully life-like as part of your newly restored smile. 

Benefits of Dental Crowns

Benefits of Dental Crowns

  • Transform the appearance of your smile – straighten the contours of crooked or chipped teeth, fill in gaps between teeth, and mask any unsightly discolouration
  • Reinforce weakened or decayed teeth and prolong the lifespan of your natural teeth structures, reducing the need for surgical tooth extraction or implants
  • Broken teeth, deep cavities, and old fillings can all harbour plaque and bacteria. Restoring your tooth’s natural shape and size will greatly ease the practice of consistent, effective oral hygiene habits, in turn boosting the health and freshness of your entire mouth
  • Eat without pain, discomfort, or worry on previously sensitive or fragile teeth - without fear of a sudden break - knowing that your bite is fully reinforced and stable
  • Boltser the strength of a root canal treated tooth, vastly reducing the risk of fracture while also hiding root canal associated discolouration
  • Smile with confidence after Truly Dental has restored your tooth’s original structure, shape, and function with a highly natural, colour-matched crown, complimenting your overall facial structure and enhancing your first impression

What to Expect When Getting a Dental Crown

What to Expect When Getting a Dental Crown

Initial consultation 

Your dentist will first carry out a comprehensive dental examination, which will include taking a series of localised dental X-rays to assess the condition of your teeth. Whether it was a concern related to recurrent pain, damage or injury to your tooth or teeth, or an aesthetic issue you have with marks, discolouration, or the shape of your teeth that brings you to our clinic, at this initial consultation your dentist will discuss these concerns with you in full.

Your dentist’s assessment will be based on their technical examination and analysis of your teeth, mouth, and jaw, and fully guided by your preferences and treatment goals and any issues you have raised with your teeth. Your dentist will recommend which crown type and material is best suited to achieve your smile goals, and will at this stage devise a detailed treatment plan for you laying out the full timeframe for completing your treatment with dental crowns, and including a breakdown of all costs involved. They will take the time to go through Truly Dental’s payment plan options with you, and at any point our front of house team is available to you to discuss these various plans to find the best method for you to make the cost of your treatment achievable and manageable.

Tooth preparation

After your initial consultation and once you are happy to proceed with the proposed treatment plan you will be scheduled in for your first of (usually) two appointments for your new dental crown to be placed.  

Your first appointment involves your dentist preparing the planned teeth to receive crowns. Your dentist will ensure your mouth is completely numbed before beginning any procedure on your teeth, including this first crown-preparation, so you will feel no pain or discomfort during any stage of your treatment plan – in fact you will feel little more than gentle vibrations and some pressure as your dentist works.

During this appointment we will use a high-tech 3D scanner to take a digital impression of your teeth, which removes the need for uncomfortable mouth moulds. This scan is then sent off-site to our dental lab technician who will hand craft your custom-made crowns, in a process that can take between 2 and 4 weeks.

There is no need for you to struggle with any upsetting or unsightly gaps in your smile during this period of awaiting your new, permanent crowns, and so at the end of this first visit your dentist will fit you with a temporary crown or crowns. These will be glued in place with a temporary dental cement, to protect the root of your original tooth while you await the fabrication of your completed crowns. 

Fitting your crown

Once your finished permanent Dental Crown is ready, we will contact you to arrange your second and final appointment to have this restoration fitted. 

At this appointment your dentist will remove the temporary crown and clean your tooth. The new crown will be tried in place to ensure an adequate and correct fit. You will be shown your crown at this stage, and once you are happy with the fit, feel, and appearance of your new crown it is bonded in place using a permanent dental cement.

Finally, any excess bonding agent is removed, and a last check of your new crown’s appearance, fit, and bite is carried out, and you will be ready to show off your new and improved smile to the world. 

Questions? Answers

What is a dental crown used for?
  • Recover totally or partially lost tooth structure, restoring the natural shape and size of your tooth
  • Replace large fillings, both for aesthetic reasons and to maintain the integrity of the tooth in the case of older, metal fillings especially, which can weaken a tooth over time
  • Reinforce a cracked or fractured tooth, reducing the risk of future loss of the tooth
  • Strengthen and restore a root canal treated tooth, particularly one that has suffered from extensive decay, where a great deal of the natural tooth structure needed to be removed
  • Complete a dental implant treatment, where a single missing tooth has been replaced with an artificial titanium root in the jaw bone, anchoring a full crown restoration placed on top once the implant is ready – seamlessly and flawlessly filling a gap left by a missing tooth with a beautiful, flawless new tooth
  • Mask discolouration if teeth have been significantly stained - for example, covering the yellowing of teeth caused by smoking
  • Improve the appearance of your teeth - crowns can be used in cosmetic dentistry to create a whiter, straighter looking smile 
I’ve just had Root Canal Treatment, do I really need a crown?

Root Canal Treatment is carried out when the nerve within a tooth dies. This kind of treatment requires the total removal of the nerve, which hugely weakens the tooth. A dental crown is needed to reinforce the remaining tooth structure, allowing you to avoid extraction of your natural tooth and root and avoid the potential risk of catastrophic fracture of your tooth.

With front teeth the risk of fracture is reduced, however in certain cases a crown may still be needed to hide discolouration (a relatively common side-effect of nerve removal during root canal treatment) or to restore the tooth’s functional shape if a substantial amount of the tooth structure had to be removed. 

Should I get crowns or veneers on my front teeth?

This is always dependent on a patient’s individual case. If your teeth are weak, discoloured, or misaligned a dental crown may be better suited than Veneers, as one application of crowns is also the restoration of the function and shape of your tooth.

Your dentist will be able to assess factors like your bite, tooth position, and colour to determine which dental restoration will help you to achieve your personal smile goals. You can learn more about dental veneers before making an appointment for an initial consultation to discuss this with one of our highly experienced, knowledgeable cosmetic dentists. 

How long will my crown last?

Dental Crowns are designed to be a long-term solution to strengthen and protect your teeth, and they have a robust and successful track record of consistent, excellent results in this regard. When properly maintained and cared for, under the right circumstances a dental crown can last 15 to 20 years or even longer.

How can I look after my crown?

To get the most benefit, longevity and value from your new Dental Crowns, you should care for your crowns as you would your natural teeth. Brushing twice daily and flossing once per day is essential to maintain good oral hygiene.

You should attend your dentist and hygienist regularly – your clinical team will also be able to answer any questions you have about the recommended check-up frequency, although in general every 6 months is recommended. Eating a balanced diet that is low in sugar is also essential, to reduce your risk of developing dental decay around a crowned tooth. Cutting back or indeed quitting smoking altogether will likewise greatly benefit the health of your gums and so prolong the life of your crowns. 

Can I whiten my crown?

Unfortunately, your Dental Crowns are not natural teeth and cannot respond to whitening treatment. However, if you would like to achieve a brighter, whiter smile in addition to improving the function and appearance of individual teeth through dental crowns, this can be fully discussed with your dentist at your initial consultation. It is of course entirely possible to have teeth whitening carried out prior to having your permanent crowns colour-matched and created for bonding.  

Our dentists also strongly advise maintaining regular visits to your dental hygienist after this treatment, for any staining over time to be expertly removed from your crowns.

Is it painful to get a crown?

Not at all! Your dentist will ensure your mouth is completely numb prior to starting any procedure or dental work to ensure that your experience will be completely pain and stress free.

In some rare cases an individual can experience mild sensitivity or tenderness after having their crown fitted – this is nothing to worry about and we can assure you this will ease in a few short days. The main after effect which is reported by some patients is some slight strangeness as you get used to a new interior shape and contour to your mouth. Very shortly after treatment, in a matter of days, everyone adjusts to this, and your new crown will feel just like a natural tooth to you.

What materials are crowns made from?

There are a wide variety of body-safe materials that our high-tech dental lab will use to make your crown. The most popular of these being either Emax or Zirconia – both are types of dental ceramic and produce crowns that are notable for their highly aesthetic- pleasing finishes. Emax crowns give very natural results, while Zirconia crowns are extremely robust and sturdy and will usually be recommended for molars or back teeth.

How much do Dental Crowns cost?

At Truly Dental the cost of Dental Crowns starts at €750 per tooth. The cost can vary depending on the material that we use for your crown, and of course if you are having more than one tooth restored.

We are proud to be the only clinic in Ireland to offer a full 20-year warranty on the majority of Crown restorations, so if you are experiencing any issues with your tooth before that time, we will be happy to repair or replace it without any additional charge while it is under warranty. You can trust us to provide you with superior, long-lasting treatment that is both cost-effective and delivered to the highest possible standard.

Your clinical team will give you a detailed cost breakdown of each stage and materials costs as part of your treatment plan at your initial consultation. We are delighted to offer multiple payment plan options at Truly Dental to give you the freedom to make choices that best suit your treatment needs, lifestyle and budget. One of our available plans allows you to pay for your treatment monthly, with absolutely no down payment required and at 0% interest! 

Damaged, discoloured, chipped or cracked teeth? Talk to us today about full restoration with dental crowns!  

Call (0)1 525 2670 or book your initial consultation with one of our dedicated and experienced dentists to discuss Dental Crowns today

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