Dental Crowns for Damaged Teeth in Waterloo
- Chosen and counted on by hundreds of patients in Southwark
- 200+ five-star Google Reviews and growing
- The go-to specialists for dental referrals in Southbank, Waterloo and Blackfriars
- Our London clinic is only a short, 10-minute walk from Waterloo station
- We are two stops on the Bakerloo Line
If you have a tooth that is severely damaged or weakened, our restorative dentists will typically recommend a crown. This crown supports the tooth and prevents decay, helping to maintain your natural tooth structure for an extended period.
Dental crowns are a favourable solution because they can also improve the appearance of a chipped or stained tooth by restoring its shape and colour. If you take good care of your teeth, your dental crown can last many years. Explore options.
Everything you need to know about crowns
When teeth lose shape or size over time, tooth-shaped caps called dental crowns are placed over the tooth to protect and preserve it.
Simply put, a dental crown restores the tooth’s shape, appearance, strength and size and can last up to 15 years.
Why you might need a dental crown
Patients often need crowns for several reasons, which include:
- Protecting a weak tooth from decay
- Preventing a tooth from breaking
- Keeping a weak together if parts are cracked
- Supporting and covering a tooth with a large filling/little tooth remaining
- Cementing a dental bridge in place or as a final restoration of a dental implant
- Covering a root canal-treated tooth
Dental crown materials to restore decayed teeth
Depending on where in your mouth you might need a crown, we can use one or a combination of several materials:
- Porcelain crowns are often the go-to choice for teeth in the visible portion of your smile as they closely mimic natural teeth.
- Zirconia is a white ceramic material thinner than conventional materials, allowing the natural tooth structure to be more preserved. However, due to the opaqueness of zirconia, it’s more commonly used for back teeth.
- Metal alloy crowns are metals like nickel, palladium and chromium. The benefit metal allows is that they rarely chip and are more wear and tear-resistant than other materials. Plus, they only require a minimal amount of tooth preparation to be fitted. However, as they are not aesthetically pleasing, they are usually placed out of sight.
If you need a crown but are unsure which material or type will be best for your oral condition, talk to one of our dentists, who can help you make the right decision.
What’s involved in placing a dental crown?
We will assess your oral foundation and prepare the tooth during your first appointment. Our dentists will also take several X-rays to evaluate the tooth roots and the surrounding bone in preparation for your crown.
If extensive tooth decay is present or the tooth’s pulp is at risk of infection, we might first need to perform a root canal.
Before making your crown, we will numb the tooth and gum tissue surrounding the tooth, and next, reshape the chewing surface and sides of the tooth to make room for the crown to sit on top. The amount of tooth surface we will remove will depend on the type of crown used.
In cases where significant parts of a tooth are lost to decay or damage, we will start filling the gap with materials to sufficiently reconstruct the tooth, enabling it to support a crown.
Once we have reshaped your tooth, we will use a paste or putty to make an accurate impression of the tooth so the crown fits perfectly.
However, in some instances, we can speed up this process even further by taking impressions with a digital scanner. This scanner takes impressions above and below the tooth to ensure the crown will not affect your bite.
That’s it for the first appointment. You’ll go home with a temporary crown while yours is being made.
Your second visit
We’ll send the scans and impressions to a special dental lab, where your crown will be specially manufactured. Within a couple of weeks, the custom crown will be sent to our dental office, and you will be invited to receive your final restoration.
During this final appointment, we will remove the temporary crown, check the fit and colour, and ensure everything is acceptable. If everything looks good, we will administer a local anaesthetic once more to numb the area and permanently cement the new crown.
Please note that if you opt for a porcelain crown, we will pre-match the colour of your neighbouring teeth to guarantee a perfect colour match.
- Reviews: ★★★★★ (500+ Google Reviews).
- Telephone: 020 7928 4474.
Car parking spaces are available near the practice (Colnbrook Street).
Affordable dental finance on all treatments over £995.00
