A Dental Crown On Your Front Tooth: Complete Guide 2023

Last updated on April 25th, 2023

A dental crown has been one of the most prominent treatments lately. It sounds great to think that a tooth-shaped cap is placed over your damaged tooth, and you get a perfect shape and function easily. 

Both back teeth and front teeth might require a dental crown treatment. The motivations to have crowns can be functional restorations or cosmetic concerns. Although both factors might be at play in some cases, cosmetic reasons usually weigh more than functional problems if the problem is in the front teeth.

When it comes to a dental crown on the front tooth, patients are more concerned about the treatment. They tend to have more questions in their mind regarding the materials to be used, the procedure, and the results. Here, you will read about the dental crown on a front tooth by highlighting the key points in this treatment.

What Are Dental Crowns Made of?

In order to understand the issues related to the dental crown on the front tooth, you need to know the materials used for making crowns. There are 4 common types of crowns:

• Porcelain crowns are aesthetically pleasing and look just like your natural teeth.
• Zirconia crowns, made of ceramic, are also good at mimicking your natural teeth and also offer high durability and strength.
• Porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns are porcelain outside and metal inside. It provides the patient with aesthetics and strength at the same time. But the dark metal line might appear when the gum recedes, which is not favorable aesthetically.
• Gold metal crowns are highly strong and durable, but the appearance of a golden tooth may not be appealing to many patients.

Dental Crown On Front Tooth 

Many people think that crowns are used solely for smile improvement. But, in fact, people need to get crown treatment after an accident or due to some other disorders in the body. Of course, getting a better shape and better smile is a good motivation, but front teeth have certain functions like cutting and tearing food as well as enhancing normal speech.

Large cracks, extensive decays, broken and deformed teeth, and the received root canal treatments are some of the most common reasons to get a dental crown on a front tooth.

All four types of dental crowns might be viable options for molar teeth. Patients can make a choice considering the issues like aesthetics, durability, and cost. However, aesthetic concerns become more significant when it comes to front teeth. Gold crowns, for example, may not be a good idea since they will not look like your natural teeth. Porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns are also risky as the metallic-colored line might be visible in time. Though metal or metal fused crowns offer higher resilience, patients opt for porcelain or zirconia crowns. 

Sometimes, patients are worried about the strength and durability of non-metallic crowns (porcelain and zirconia). However, it is not a big deal to think that front teeth are just for cutting and tearing food and thus not subject to strong pressure as much as back teeth. You can use a zirconia crown on your front tooth for up to 20 years.

Front Tooth Dental Crown Procedure

The procedural steps of dental crowns are as follows:

• Anesthesia is given.
• The dentist files down the sides of the tooth.
• The mold of the tooth is taken and sent to the dental lab.
• Meanwhile, the dentist places a temporary crown on the tooth.
• A few days later, the temporary crown is replaced with the permanent crown. Note that some dental clinics have in-house dental labs, which make it possible to get your crowns on the same day or the following day in some cases.

Front Tooth Dental Crown Cost

Though metal or partially metal crowns are less expensive, your dentist will advise you to get porcelain or zirconia crowns for your front tooth. They are relatively more expensive but good at mimicking your natural teeth. Depending on the number of teeth crowned and your location, the total cost of crowns will vary. Also, remember that some insurance companies cover the expenses partially or completely.

FAQs

In this part, you will get the key takeaways of this article through the following questions and answers.

Can You Crown A Front Tooth?

Yes, it is possible and probably more common than you think.

How Long Do Front Tooth Crowns Last?

Up to 20 years if you give good care.

How Does The Dentist Put A Crown On The Front Tooth?

The process is similar to normal crown treatment for molar teeth.

How Much Does A Front Tooth Crown Cost?

An exact price is only clear when you get your first appointment. Also, your insurance plan is a factor in the payment.

Can Gum Disease Cause Crowns Fall Out?

Receding gum and extensive decay might make your crown lose and even fall out. If you have serious gum disease, see your dentist immediately.

Summary

Getting dental crowns is a simple and effective way to eliminate various problems with teeth. Though crown treatment is more common for back teeth, it still yields outstanding results for the front teeth, as well. Since we normally use front teeth for cutting and tearing, the crown applied there doesn’t have to be strong and durable as in molars. Thus, you can consider more aesthetic types of crowns like zirconium or porcelain. Seeing your dentist and discussing the case, you can make the best decision for you.