Is a “cap” the same thing as a “crown?”
Yes, it is. Patients often call crowns by the more familiar layman’s term, “cap.” What IS a “cap” anyway?
A “crown” or “cap” is the name of a dental restoration that covers the entire tooth. In the picture above, the crown is the one with the little baseball etched into the side! Crowns are usually made from porcelain, metal, gold, or a combination of porcelain and metal.
In order to get a tooth ready for a crown, a moderate amount of the original tooth must be cut back and prepared for a new crown. If the crown material is too thin, the crown can fracture or break off. Once the tooth is “prepped,” a new crown can be placed over the existing tooth and cemented into place. After a few days or weeks, the crown should feel like any of your other teeth. You may not even notice that you are biting onto a crown at all.
Happy eating!