What You Need to Know About Dental Caps

Dental caps are the same as crowns.  Using the two words interchangeably, we may add a dental cap to a tooth to provide more strength and conceal unsightly stains/damage. We can also position a dental cap when there is too much tooth missing in order to sustain a filling.

The dental cap wraps around the entire outer portion of the tooth. Dental caps typically consist of porcelain, metal like gold or a combination of both.

Learn more about dental crowns

The Dental Cap Procedure

During the dental cap procedure, we remove a portion of the tooth to make space for the dental cap. If we were to add the cap directly to the tooth as is, the gum would not know the crown is different from tartar and would likely recede from the crown. The end result would be a form of periodontal disease. This is precisely why we reduce the tooth.

This crown also keeps the tooth in position while the permanent cap is made in the dental laboratory. The temporary dental cap will stay in position for a period of two weeks to three months. Once the permanent cap is ready, the dentist will remove the temporary one and cement the final version into place.

Dental Cap Material

Dental caps are typically made of metals like gold or palladium.  In some cases, several metals are combined to form dental caps.  Porcelain is also commonly baked onto the metal so the final version of the dental cap resembles a regular tooth.  A crown can also be made with zirconium that is a metal yet looks like a normal white tooth. All resin dental caps are economically efficient compared to other caps.  Yet this variety of cap tends to wear quicker than the porcelain-fused-to-metal type.  

Opt for an all-ceramic or all-porcelain dental cap and it will match the color of your regular teeth.  This is also the optimal type of dental crown for those who suffer from metal allergies.  Still, all-ceramic dental caps are not as strong as the porcelain-fused-to-metal variety.  Pressed ceramic crowns are also available.  This type of cap has an incredibly hard inner core.

This cap is topped with porcelain that blends in nicely with surrounding teeth.  Milled crowns have emerged as quite popular.  They fit nicely, have a pleasing white hue and studies show they are strong.  However, some claim milled crowns have a high failure rate.  Discuss the many different tooth cap options with your dentist to find the one best for your mouth.

Candidates for Dental Caps

The average person is a good candidate for a dental cap at least once in his or her life.  Dental caps serve the purpose of covering up one or several stained, discolored or misshapen teeth.  Dental caps also safeguard teeth that have weakened. They even hold portions of a cracked tooth together, conceal dental implants, cover a tooth that has undergone a root canal, hold dental bridges in place and restore worn/broken teeth. If you have any of these oral health issues, do not hesitate to bring up the subject of dental caps with your dentist.

Call us at (305) 203-4132 for more information from Gables Exceptional Dentistry or to schedule an appointment in our dentist office in Coral Gables.