Dental tooth capping work is used to recreate the top, exposed part of the tooth following breakage or wearing to restore the original look of the tooth, or possibly even to improve on it!

The Tooth Capping Process:

If you think you may need a tooth capping or teeth capping then you should visit a cosmetic dentist. He or she will make a mould of your tooth and send you away again while they have a perfect tooth cap made up to fit your tooth. Before you do leave you may be fitted with a temporary tooth cap, which should tide you over until the permanent one is created (this usually takes around two weeks).

The whole dental work process should be completed in just two visits providing the cosmetic dentist does their job correctly and is able to create a tooth cap that fits first time.

When you go in the second time for your dental work the cosmetic dentist will first and foremost prepare the remaining tooth by filling any holes to create a solid and smooth surface on which the tooth capping can be fitted. When they do this just make sure they use a white filling otherwise you may end up with an ugly silver area of your expensive capped tooth!

There three types of main tooth capping. They are either made of gold tooth caps, ceramic tooth caps and ceramic-veneered gold tooth caps.

The gold and gold and ceramic options are both very strong and durable and can be used to replace worn molars as this is wear most pressure is placed on your teeth. The problem is some don't like the look either so in most cases the ceramic option takes precedence as they closely match the natural colour of your teeth or tooth.

Things get slightly more complex when you discover that there are two types of ceramic tooth capping and they are called pressed ceramic tooth caps and felpathic tooth caps.

The latter has been around for around twenty years and they are made by baking porcelain onto tin foil and then heated so the cosmetic dentist can tint the cap to the desired colour.

Pressed ceramic tooth capping is a newer version and is made from a single piece, which is milled into shape and then stained for colour match. This is the best option as they look more natural.

Tooth capping costs:

Porcelain tooth capping is the most expensive option surprisingly as they take much longer to make and can cost anywhere from £300 ($500) to £2,500 (£3,100) with reinforced resin versions costing even more. The more visits to the cosmetic dentist for dental work you have the more expensive the final bill will be as well, so bear this in mind when your dentist is discussing your tooth capping treatment.

The pros and cons of tooth cap types:

Gold Tooth Caps

Pros: The preparation is the most straightforward of all tooth capping and it requires the least amount of healthy tooth to be removed to fit and is the best foreign material as far as your gums are concerned.

Cons: The look

Porcelain Tooth Caps:

Pros: Porcelain caps or the new reinforced resin types are the best match for your existing teeth.

Cons: Because the thickness of the porcelain needed is thick it means more tooth must be removed to fit it in. Gum problems are more common around porcelain tooth capping too.

Porcelain/Metal Combination Tooth Caps:

Pros: Porcelain/metal caps look great.

Disadvantage: The metal substructure can show through creating a darker looking tooth cap.

>> Find a good cosmetic dentist near you

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