Dental Crowns
Rebuild a tooth that has broken down past the point a filling can hold, and get its strength and shape back.
Restores Strength
Holds a weakened tooth together.
Natural Appearance
Front teeth as well as back.
NHS & Private
NHS band rates or private.
Comfort Focused
Fitted around your own bite.
Strength First, Appearance Close Behind
When a tooth needs more than a filling.
Once a tooth is too broken down or too weak to hold a filling, a crown is usually the answer. Think of it as a custom-made cap that sits over what remains, giving back the shape, the strength and the appearance, so you can bite and smile without thinking about it.
We work with a choice of crown materials here, on the NHS and privately, picked to suit the tooth and the job it has to do.
What a crown does
A crown covers the whole tooth above the gumline and holds it together. We usually suggest one where decay or a fracture has taken too much of the tooth away, after root canal treatment, to anchor a bridge, or where a tooth has worn down badly.
Made properly, it should look like the tooth it replaced and last for years without you thinking about it.
The materials we use
Which one we recommend depends on where the tooth sits, how much force it takes and how much it shows.
Metal Crowns
A full-metal crown, very strong for the amount of tooth it needs removed. Where nobody can see it and the chewing load is heavy, it is hard to beat.
- The most durable for the least preparation
- Back teeth only, realistically
- Available on the NHS
Gold Crowns
Gold wears at almost the same rate as enamel, so it is kind to the tooth biting against it. Where longevity matters more than looks, it is still unbeaten.
- The longest lifespan we offer
- Best suited to molars
- Private treatment
Zirconia Crowns
Tooth-coloured, metal-free and very strong indeed. Zirconia copes with heavy biting forces while still looking like a tooth.
- No metal anywhere in it
- Handles heavy chewing
- Front and back teeth
Porcelain Crowns
Light passes through porcelain much as it does through enamel, which is why it is our first choice for teeth that show when you smile.
- The most natural-looking option
- Full porcelain, or fused to a metal core
- Front teeth and cosmetic work
What is involved
- Assessment — we look at what is left of the tooth and agree which material makes sense.
- Preparation — the tooth is shaped so the crown has room to sit without bulking out.
- Impressions — digital or conventional, whichever suits your case.
- A temporary — fitted to keep the tooth comfortable while the laboratory works.
- Fitting — checked for fit, bite and shade, adjusted, then cemented in place.
How long it will last
Ten to fifteen years is normal, and gold often considerably longer. What shortens it is decay at the margin, which is entirely preventable.
- Clean the gumline around it properly every day
- Do not use it to open things or bite hard objects
- Keep coming to check-ups so we spot any leak early
NHS or private?
On the NHS
Crowns are available on the NHS where a tooth genuinely needs one, at the Band 3 rate. Metal and porcelain-fused-to-metal are the usual materials — chosen for strength rather than appearance.
Privately
Going privately opens up gold, zirconia and full porcelain, and the extra laboratory time that a front tooth generally needs to look right.
We will tell you which we would choose for your tooth, and why, before you decide.