While fillings and crowns have the same goal—to restore or improve a tooth, they are very different.

Fillings are material bonded onto the tooth, to replace or ‘fill’ the damaged tooth structure. They are best suited when:

• There are no cracks in a tooth. Fillings by themselves are not ideal for cracked teeth as they rely on sound tooth structure to hold them in. They also don’t have the rigidity and strength of crown materials so don’t always provide sufficient support or protection to the remaining teeth.
• There is a small, damaged area and the tooth is largely in good condition
• Cost is an issue. Fillings cost less than crowns because of both the material difference and the expertise and time required for the procedure. If a crown is not possible right away, a filling may be suitable to preserve and protect the tooth until a crown could be placed.

Crowns are made of stronger materials than fillings and are best suited for:

• Cracked teeth. A cracked tooth won’t heal and needs structural support to help extend its life and sometimes, to relieve pain.
• When a large portion of tooth has been damaged and/or previously filled. A large filling can act like a wedge in the tooth, putting pressure on the remaining tooth structure during chewing. This can lead to further damage to the tooth or failure of the filling. A heavily damaged or previously filled tooth is also at higher risk of cracking and a crown reduces the risk of this happening.
• Major changes to tooth shape and/or colour are required. A crown can be designed to achieve the desired colour, size and shape which can be a lot more difficult to achieve with a filling.

See our same day crown section here to see how we can complete your crown in a single visit.