Dental crowns in Nottingham, made to match your own teeth

Fillings work well while there's enough healthy tooth left to hold them. Once too much has been lost, a large filling can act like a wedge, and the thin walls around it are more likely to crack. A crown works the other way. It wraps around the tooth and holds it together.

We might recommend a crown for:

• a cracked tooth, or one with a large old filling and thin walls
• a tooth that has had root canal treatment, particularly a back tooth
• a tooth worn down by grinding
• a badly discoloured or misshapen tooth where bonding or veneers aren't enough

A sharp pain when you bite down or let go can be a sign of a crack. Cracks are much easier to deal with before the tooth splits, so it's worth having it checked early.

And if a crown isn't needed, we'll say so. Sometimes a white filling or composite bonding is enough, and doing less is the better option.

• All-ceramic crowns handle light much like natural enamel, so they're the usual choice for teeth that show when you smile.
• Zirconia is a very strong ceramic, often chosen for back teeth where biting forces are highest.
• Porcelain fused to metal is strong and long-established, though a dark line can show at the gum over time.
• Gold is exceptionally durable and kind to the teeth it bites against, though few patients choose it now.

Which one suits you depends on where the tooth sits, how hard you bite and how much space there is. We'll explain the trade-off rather than default to one option.

A crown usually takes two visits.

At the first, we examine the tooth and take an X-ray to check how much healthy tooth remains. Then, with the tooth numbed, we shape it so the crown can fit over it, take a digital scan or impression, and fit a temporary crown to protect it.

Between visits, our lab technicians make your crown to the shape and shade we've agreed. Go gently with the temporary, as it's deliberately less firmly fixed. Avoid very sticky or hard food, and if it comes off, keep it and call us. It usually goes straight back on.

At the second visit, we check the fit, your bite and the colour before fixing the crown in place, and make any small adjustments there and then.

The tooth is numbed with local anaesthetic while we prepare it, so you'll feel pressure rather than pain. If you're anxious about dental treatment, let us know when you book and we'll take things at your pace.

Well-made crowns commonly last 10 to 15 years, and often a good deal longer. When they fail it's rarely the crown itself. It's usually decay where the crown meets the tooth, or gum disease around it.

• Brush carefully along the gumline, where the crown meets the tooth.
• Clean between your teeth every day with floss or interdental brushes.
• Wear a night guard if you grind, as grinding is a common cause of ceramic fractures.
• Don't use your teeth to open packets or bite your nails.
• Keep up your check-ups and hygiene appointments so we can spot any problem at the edge of the crown early.

We're at 22 Nottingham Road, Burton Joyce, with free parking and an easy drive from Gedling, Carlton, Lowdham and Arnold, and we see plenty of patients from West Bridgford and across Nottingham.

We've been named Dental Clinic of the Year Nottingham and have more than 700 five-star reviews. The cost of a crown varies from case to case, so you'll get an itemised plan at your consultation before any work starts. Flexible payment plans are available, and our membership plan includes a discount on crowns and bridges. If a tooth is missing rather than damaged, our restorative dentistry page covers bridges, dentures and implants.