Crowns & Onlays
Is it better to have single crowns or joined crowns?
In most cases, individual (single) crowns are better than joined crowns. Each tooth naturally moves slightly on its own, and joining multiple crowns together restricts this movement, creating stress that can lead to cracks, loosening, or damage over time. Individual crowns are also easier to clean, easier to repair if one fails, and preserve more of your future treatment options. Joined crowns are sometimes necessary for bridges replacing missing teeth or certain implant restorations, but for natural teeth that can be treated individually, single crowns are usually the better long-term choice.
Why I don't recommend joining multiple crowns together
If you've been researching dental treatment abroad — especially in places like Turkey — you may have come across a common approach where several crowns are joined together as one unit.
At first glance, this can seem like a good idea. It may look strong, neat, and efficient.
But in most cases, I don't recommend it.
Let me explain why in simple terms.
What does joining crowns together mean?
Normally, each tooth has its own individual crown.
But sometimes, instead of placing separate crowns, dentists connect them together — like a bridge across several teeth.
This means:
- Multiple teeth are treated as a single unit
- The crowns are physically attached to each other
- They cannot move independently
Why this can be a problem
1. Teeth naturally move (even if you don't notice it)
Your teeth are not rigid like concrete — they have a tiny amount of natural movement.
When crowns are joined:
- This natural movement is restricted
- Stress builds up across the connected teeth
Over time, this can lead to:
- Cracks in the crowns
- Loosening of the work
- Damage to the underlying teeth
2. If one tooth fails, everything is affected
With individual crowns:
- If one tooth has a problem, you treat just that tooth
With joined crowns:
- One problem can affect the entire unit
This can mean:
- Removing multiple crowns instead of one
- More complex and costly repairs
- Loss of otherwise healthy work
3. Harder to clean = higher risk of gum disease
Joined crowns create areas that are:
- More difficult to floss properly
- Harder to keep clean between teeth
This increases the risk of:
- Gum inflammation
- Bone loss
- Long-term failure of the treatment
4. It's not a conservative approach
In dentistry, we aim to be as minimally invasive as possible.
Joining crowns:
- Often requires more aggressive preparation
- Removes more natural tooth structure
- Reduces your future treatment options
- Accelerates the tooth death spiral — the cycle where each intervention brings a tooth closer to extraction
Why is this done in some clinics?
There are a few reasons this approach is more common in some overseas clinics:
- Time constraints — treatment is often completed very quickly
- Simplified workflow — fewer separate components to manage
- Short-term stability — it can feel strong initially
But dentistry isn't just about how things look or feel on day one.
It's about how they perform 5, 10, or 15 years later.
When might joined crowns be appropriate?
There are some specific situations where connecting teeth is necessary — such as:
- Traditional bridges to replace missing teeth
- Certain implant-supported restorations
But for natural teeth that can be treated individually, this is usually not the ideal approach.
For a closer look at the long-term risks of joining teeth together, read Splinted and joined crowns and bridges — the good, the bad and the ugly.
| Feature | Single (Individual) Crowns | Joined Crowns |
|---|---|---|
| Natural tooth movement | Preserved — each tooth moves independently | Restricted — teeth are locked together |
| If one crown fails | Only that crown needs attention | The entire joined unit may need replacing |
| Cleaning and flossing | Easier — you can floss between each tooth normally | Harder — joined areas trap plaque and are difficult to clean |
| Gum health | Better long-term gum health | Higher risk of gum disease and bone loss |
| Tooth preservation | More conservative — less tooth removed | More aggressive — more tooth structure often removed |
| Future treatment options | More flexibility if a tooth needs retreating | Fewer options — the whole unit is interconnected |
| Long-term durability | More predictable over 10–15+ years | Higher risk of stress fractures and complications |
| Common use case | Restoring individual damaged teeth | Bridges for missing teeth or implant-supported restorations |
Questions to ask your dentist
- Why are you recommending joined crowns rather than individual ones?
- What are the long-term implications of joining my crowns together?
- How will I clean between the joined teeth?
- What happens if one of the joined teeth develops a problem in the future?
- Is there a more conservative alternative?
When to seek urgent in-person care
If you have severe pain, swelling, fever, trauma, or difficulty swallowing/breathing, seek urgent in-person care.