Dental Crowns & Veneers

After a large cavity, a root canal, or a chipped tooth, teeth have to be protected to prevent further decay. Foy Aesthetic and Family Dentistry offers traditional crowns with a full range of options of materials. We also offer porcelain veneers to fill in and reshape teeth with chips or cracks.

Crowns

At Foy Aesthetic and Family Dentistry, we place traditional crowns to keep damaged teeth healthy, as well as for cosmetic reasons. Crowns can be made in a variety of materials, each with a unique set of pros and cons. See below for more information about the various materials.

Why are crowns necessary?

Crowns serve a variety of functions in dentistry. When teeth have large cavities that need to be filled, they become weaker. A crown helps support teeth that have large fillings. Additionally, they prevent cracked teeth from breaking further. Crowns can also protect weak teeth and restore the shape, alignment, and color of broken teeth. Often, when a crown is needed, a temporary crown is first placed on the tooth so that the tooth will be protected while a permanent crown is made.

Materials for Crowns

Materials used to make crowns include metal, porcelain fused to metal, ceramic, or resin. Temporary crowns are often made of stainless steel, as are children’s crowns, since their baby teeth will be replaced in a few years.

Metal: Metal is the most cost-effective material for a crown, and it rarely (if ever) chips or breaks of the strength of the metal. The main drawback is the color, which cannot be made to match the surrounding teeth. People sometimes choose metal crowns for molars, which are seen less than front teeth.

Porcelain Fused to Metal: These crowns have the strength of the metal combined with the custom color that porcelain allows. However, the porcelain can break off and occasionally, the metal can show through at the gum line.

Ceramic: Ceramic crowns are typically porcelain. The porcelain is color-matched to the teeth around it and looks the most like normal teeth. These are also suitable for people with metal allergies.

Resin: Resin crowns are much less expensive than other crown types, but they also get fractures more often and wear down over time.

Veneers

Veneers help restore teeth to create a perfect-looking smile. Foy Aesthetic and Family Dentistry offers porcelain veneers, which replace yellow tooth enamel and provide a smooth, bright finish. Porcelain veneers can also be used to fill in cracks or chips and reshape teeth, which restores a natural, beautiful smile.