Dental Crown Types
What type of Dental Crown (“tooth cap”) should you have made?
If you want a healthy and beautiful smile, you may need a crown (or more) to cover teeth and restore them to normal shape and size. A crown can make your tooth stronger and improve your appearance. crowns are generally used to protect weak teeth from breaking and restoring ones that are already broken. crowns are a good way to cover teeth that are discolored or badly shaped. They are also used to cover dental implants. Dental crowns (also known as caps) can be made from metal (gold or other metal alloys), ceramic materials (such as porcelain) or a combination of both.
| CROWN FACTORS | ALL-PORCELAIN (ceramic) | PORCELAIN Fused to metal | GOLD ALLOYS | BASE METAL ALLOYS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Description | Porcelain, ceramic or glass-like fillings and crowns, including Cerec 1-hour crowns. |
Porcelain is fused to an underlying metal structure. | Alloy of gold, copper and other metals resulting in a strong, effective filling, crown or bridge. This group of dental alloys has a composition that must be over 60% noble metal (gold, palladium and/or platinum), of which more than 40% must be gold. These metals are the “gold standard” of dental alloys to which all others are compared. | Alloys of non-noble metals with silver appearance resulting in high strength crowns and bridges. The alloys are also know as base metals. Their noble metal content is less than 25%. They often contain large percentages of nickel, chromium or beryllium. |
| Principal Uses | Inlays, onlays, crowns and veneers. | Crowns and fixed bridges. | Inlays, onlays, crowns and fixed bridges. | Crowns, fixed bridges and partial dentures. |
| Durability | Brittle material, may fracture under heavy biting loads. Strength depends greatly on quality of bond to underlying tooth structure and the clinical capability of the dentist. Our new Cerec Emax crowns show strength and durability capabilities similar to metal crowns! | Very strong and durable, however the porcelain is still prone to fracture, especially in tight biting areas and people who grind their teeth. | High corrosion resistance prevents tarnishing; high strength and toughness resist fracture and wear. | High corrosion resistance prevents tarnishing; high strength and toughness resist fracture and wear. |
| Resistance to Wear | Highly resistant to wear, but some porcelain systems can rapidly wear opposing teeth if its surface becomes rough. | Highly resistant to wear, but porcelain can rapidly wear opposing teeth if its surface becomes rough. | Resistant to wear and gentle to opposing teeth. | Resistant to wear and gentle to opposing teeth. |
| Crown Appearance | Color and translucency mimic natural tooth appearance. Lab technician capabilities are very important. | Porcelain can mimic natural tooth appearance, but metal limits translucency. | Metal colors do not mimic natural teeth. | Metal colors do not mimic natural teeth. |
| Average Number of Dental Visits to Complete | Minimum of two, except for Cerec crowns (including Exam) which normally are done in one visit. | Minimum of two; matching esthetics of teeth may require more visits. | Minimum of two dental visits. | Minimum of two dental visits. |