Dental Crowns
There are many types of dental crowns and they can be used for a variety of reasons. A dental crown is a tooth-shaped “cap” placed over a tooth to restore its shape, size, strength, and/or to improve its appearance. A crown may be necessary for a variety of reasons:
- To protect a weakened by decay.
- To restore tooth that is broken or severely worn down
- To restore a tooth that has a large filling when there is very little tooth structure remaining
- To anchor a dental bridge
- To cover teeth that are misshapen or discolored
- To cover a dental implant
Metal Crowns: The metals used in crowns can be gold alloy (white gold or yellow gold), other alloys (such as palladium), or a base-metal alloy (such as nickel or chromium). Less natural tooth structure needs to be removed for a metal crown as opposed to other crown types, and wear to the opposing teeth is kept to a minimum. Metal crowns rarely chip or break, and can handle biting and chewing forces well. They are a good choice for out-of-sight molars, as the metal color can be a drawback.
Porcelain Fused to Metal Crowns: Unlike a metal crown, porcelain crowns can be color-matched to your natural teeth. This provides improved aesthetics with the additional support of the metal alloy underneath. Porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns look like natural teeth. However, sometimes the underlying metal can show through as a dark line, especially at the gum line. These crowns are a good choice for front or back teeth.
All-Ceramic or All-Porcelain Crowns: These crowns provide the best natural color match than any other type of crown. They may also be more suitable for people with a metal allergy. However, they are not as strong as porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns and may wear down more than other crown types. All-ceramic crowns are a good choice for front teeth.
Temporary versus Permanent: Temporary crowns can be made in your dentist’s office. Permanent crowns are made in a dental laboratory. Temporary crowns are made of acrylic and can be used as a temporary restoration until a permanent crown is constructed by the dental laboratory.