Do i have dental cap or crown or what?

Question

OK, so ive been reading about caps and crowns which are apparently the same thing, but then when i was reading about how they are made and applied, it doesnt sound anything like what i have. 

You see, when i was younger (in 5th grade), i chipped about 75% off of my front tooth. The nerve was hanging out and everything, hurt like hell to even breathe. So when i went to get it fixed, the dentist applied a some sort of white "goop" and then he shaped it into a tooth shape. He then used a red light to harden the "goop".

 Now from what i read, when you get a cap or crown, you go in and they measure where its gonna go, then you leave and they have it made somewhere and then you come back when its ready and they install it. Now that doesn't sound like what i had done to me. When i went in, it was finished in one visit. So do i have a cap or crown or something different?

I ask because a piece of it broke off and now i need to see about getting it fixed. Now i don't have any dental insurance so I'm trying to find the cheapest fix possible, like at a dental school or something, but i need to know if this is a cap/crown before i can look for prices about getting it fixed. 

Any advice is appreciated, thanks.

Z · Accepted Answer

This is neither a cap or a crown. 

What you had was composite filling material to build up the tooth back to it's original form. 

You can have this repaired by having another composite filling added to the defect where it has chipped, and you can get good aesthetic results with this. This would also be the cheaper option. 

A crown would be a more complex procedure, and would take more than one appointment. 

Another option you may want to consider, particularly if your concern is aesthetic only, is a Veneer over the tooth.

HeidiMars · Answer

I believe you had a dental filling the first time. The red light they used is infrared, I think.  I have both, dental fillings and dental cap. Dental cap or crown is exactly what you have described here. 

If only the dental filling broke off and you have no cavities, you can ask your doctor to remove the rest and replace it. Dental caps are expensive especially the procelain ones. If there's something wrong with your tooth now, you have to think twice of taking the cheap way out. Because in the long run, you'll be paying more if it chips more. Not to mention the other things caused by decays in chipped tooth e.g. bad breath, tooth ache, etc.

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Do i have dental cap or crown or what?

2 Answers