Here’s what Dr. Nakul has to say bout Crowns and when you should consider them.
“The cool thing about modern crowns is that I actually rarely do a crown now. Unless I am replacing a previous, already placed crown, I don’t feel the need to do them.
This is because modern dentistry techniques allow us to save a ton of tooth structure.
Modern Dentistry vs Traditional Crowns
- We don’t need to shave tooth downs to stubs any more.
- Nowadays, we do procedures called inlays and onlays. This is called biomimetic dentistry.
- In simpler terms, we try and copy nature.
Traditional Dentistry
- Involved cutting down a lot of tooth.
- Then getting a porcelain or metal crown and cementing it over the tooth.
- For it to stay long term, there needed to be enough tooth, otherwise the tooth would break.
Biomimetic Dentistry
- We can copy the way the tooth is bonding within itself.
- If we can do that, then we can replace what is lost in a far more conservative way.
- Why cut down more tooth to save the tooth, when you only need to cut down what is required to get the result?
Benefits of Onlays and Inlays
- Preserve a lot of tooth structure.
- Double or triple the life of the tooth.
- Keep more of the helmet layer of the tooth (enamel) intact.
- The more natural integrity of the tooth remains, the longer it will last.
Same-Day Dentistry with CEREC
At our office, a lot of the teeth in the back are done same day with CEREC onlays.
- In 2.5 hours, I can:
- Prepare the tooth.
- Digitally scan and design the tooth.
- Stain it chairside to copy the colour.
- Bond the porcelain right in.
This makes it convenient for patients and rewarding for myself, as I can save a lot of tooth while maintaining control of the esthetics and the fit.
High Esthetic Demands
In cases where there are high esthetic demands:
- I use my DSLR camera.
- Work with a world class lab.
- Achieve a seamless shade match inside the mouth.
