As dentists in the 21^st Century, our main aim is to help you to hang onto your teeth for as long as you can. Whereas in the past, dentists couldn’t wait to pull your teeth out and give you the latest in dentures, nowadays we know that your tooth roots are invaluable for two reasons. They stop your teeth wobbling around when you eat and speak, and they also keep your jawbone cells in a state of constant renewal, so that your jawbone is big and strong.

We have a good range of techniques for helping you keep your teeth here at Kings Dental and one of them is dental crowns. In Hammersmith, these little treasures in our toolkit have a long and illustrious history. Crowns have been used in dentistry since the Etruscans (the people who lived in Tuscany in ancient times) had to find ways to repair their teeth, no doubt after chomping down on olive stones.

What is a dental crown?

The dental crown is a porcelain cover that goes over the entire surface of the any tooth that has suffered a trauma of some kind, or have had a large filling, or have had root canal treatment. The crown is fitted over the remains of the tooth, which may have to be shaped first, and this strengthens and protects it from further damage.

Getting a crown fitted

This usually needs 2 appointments. At the first appointment, we examine and prepare the tooth. We check the tooth roots and bone around it are healthy, which may mean taking x-rays. If they are, we can go onto the next stage.

Next, we give you a local anaesthetic, before filing down the tooth to make room for the crown. If, on the other hand, you have hardly any tooth left to start with, we can we will rebuild it up so that it can support the crown. Next, we take an impression of your tooth. This is used to make the crown out of porcelain that is colour-matched to your teeth. We fit it at the next appointment, cementing it in place.