Crowns


Crowns

Crowns

When is a Crown needed?

Crowns are recommended to protect teeth from damage due to trauma. There are 2 situations where metal crowns are recommended.

1. Some dogs bite their cages and this results in a characteristic wear pattern where enamel and sometimes dentin is worn away behind the canine teeth. This makes the crown of the teeth narrower and thinner. The tips of the crowns of these teeth over time may snap off if the dog pulls hard on something. It has been found that loss of tooth structure is the main reason for weakening of teeth. This can be due to excessive wear, such as happens in cage biters, or due to a fracture of the crown or tooth structural loss during root canal therapy. Usually dogs that bite their cages, play with stones or chew hard objects causing extensive wear of the enamel of the teeth benefit from the protection of a metal crown.

This is an example of a cage biter. The right mandibular canine tooth was also affected.


Clinical crown of the left lower canine tooth showing loss of tooth structure behind the crown.	Radiograph of the tooth shows that the pulp cavity is within normal limits and there is not evidence of bone loss at the apex of the root.	Full metal crown covering the tooth protects the tooth from further trauma.

2. Following root canal therapy a metal crown protects the restoration sites of the root canal therapy.

The following case was in a dog with severe separation anxiety which resulted in cage chewing. She fractured 3 of her canine teeth and required 3 root canals and 4 full metal crowns.


Complicated fracture of a right upper canine tooth in a dog.	Radiograph showing bone loss at the apex of the root. This suggests infection from the infected pulp.	Radiograph showing root canal therapy.	Full metal crown protects the crown and root canal therapy from further trauma.

46793 Yale Road East

Chilliwack, BC Canada V2P 2S5
Phone: 604-792-2844

Last updated 6/18/2011