Also known as a cap, a dental crown is a prosthetic device used to strengthen, restore function to, and improve the appearance of a damaged, weakened, or decayed tooth. Today, dental crowns have advanced so much that you probably won’t even be able to tell if someone has a crown. Nevertheless, dental crowns haven’t always looked like natural teeth.
Ancient Times
Dental crowns are believed to have been first used as early as 200 AD by the Etruscans, the civilization of people who lived in the Tuscany region of Italy. Back then, crowns were made up of gold, ivory, bone, and even human teeth. This method persisted until the 19th century, when ceramics and porcelain were introduced into dental practices. These materials made crowns much more comfortable and attractive.
20th Century
In 1905, Charles H. Land patented the “jacket crown”, a ceramic crown that fit over a tooth like a jacket. Although the jacket crown was a vast improvement from previous methods, it lacked durability and often ended up cracking. In the late 1900s, porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) crowns were invented, making these natural-looking crowns stronger and longer-lasting than their predecessors. By combining the esthetic of porcelain (a type of ceramic) with the durability of metal, these have become the common crowns we know today, along with pressed-to-metal/pressed-on-metal/pressed-over-metal (PTM/POM) crowns. PTM/POM crowns are similar to traditional porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns, but a very strong outer layer of synthetic dental ceramic (instead of porcelain) encloses the inner metal shell. Additionally, some front teeth crowns are made entirely of porcelain or dental ceramic for a more natural look but with less strength and durability.
Same-Day Dental Crowns
We proudly utilizes CEREC (Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics) technology to truncate the traditional crown-making process that used to require multiple visits and a temporary crown. With this state-of-the-art dental technique, we offer same-day dental crowns! After the CEREC software creates a virtual model from a digital impression taken of your tooth, we send the image to our in-house milling machine to carve your dental crown out of tooth-colored ceramic. At Helotes Family Dentistry, you receive your dental crown within an hour or two.
Reach Out to Our Helotes Dental Team!
We’ve definitely come a long way since the Etruscans introduced dental crowns. If you think you need a crown or are interested in learning more about one-visit procedure, contact us to schedule an appointment at our dental practice!
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