Dental crowns are tooth-shaped caps that cover a permanent tooth, which has sustained damage from decay, injury, or disease. They come in two varieties:
● Permanent crowns
● Temporary crowns
Crowns are also useful in improving the appearance of your smile while protecting other teeth from further damage. A permanent crown can consist of a variety of materials, with porcelain, metal, or resin crowns being the most well-known dental crown material options.
6 Best Materials for Dental Crowns :
Porcelain and Ceramic Crowns
Porcelain or ceramic crowns are great for your front teeth. They match the shape, size, and color of your surrounding teeth very well, so they look completely natural when placed over the entire tooth.
They come in two forms:
● All-ceramic crowns
● Pressed ceramic dental crowns
A ceramic dental crown is also very easy to clean because there is no metal on the sides to trap dirt. Because they contain no metal, they are also non-toxic, ideal for patients with metal allergies. Porcelain crowns make affordable long-term options because they resist cracks more than any other crown.
Full Metal Crowns
A metal crown is an ideal long-term material to protect your teeth. Metal crowns rarely chip, are easy to remove, and are the most tolerant crown types to biting and chewing forces.
Gold crowns, in particular, gained popularity in the 80s and 90s. Although known as gold crowns, these crowns actually consist of a gold alloy combined with other metals.
For adults, a silver or gold crown is best as it preserves more of the healthy tooth structure and is gentle on opposing teeth. It has the advantage of wearing down slowly over the natural tooth, which makes them an excellent long-term option. Although ideal for restoring out-of-sight molars, they do not make for trendy choices for front teeth today.
A pediatric dentist will most likely recommend a full metal stainless steel crown for children. Stainless steel crowns are prefabricated, reducing the need for children to go under general anesthesia.
Porcelain-Fused-to-Metal Crowns
The closest alternative to gold crowns (porcelain-fused-to-metal or PFM dental crowns) offers patients the best of both worlds – a cosmetic solution that is strong and durable. PFM crowns, specifically porcelain-fused-to-gold crowns, also allow for glass ionomer cements, which are less invasive and more stable than other cementing materials.
In addition, if the porcelain ever fractures, it will not damage your tooth structure because there is an underlying protective layer of metal alloy base that bonds directly with your tooth.
Zirconia and Porcelain-Fused-to-Zirconia Crowns
Zirconia is used for the production of all kinds of ceramics, including dental restorations. It is a white crystalline oxide made from the metal zirconium.
Zirconia's properties make it an excellent dental crown material because it balances hardness and elasticity. Zirconia crowns look great and are less likely to fracture than PFM crowns.
These crowns take less time to install and do not require multiple dental visits. Your dentist can cut, shape, and have the zirconia crown permanently cemented without sending it to a dental laboratory.
Zirconia crowns are also more affordable than metal crowns. Because dentists make them from digital scans, they come out extremely accurate.
Dental Composite Crowns
Dental composite is a resin material used to fill the gaps between teeth or cover them with a crown. Despite being synthetic, it still offers qualities similar to natural teeth thanks to its flexibility and resistance against decay.
Although this option is the most affordable, it may not perform well in terms of strength and durability. You may need to visit your dentist regularly to replace dental composite crowns. However, they are an excellent option for patients who need their front and back teeth restored but cannot tolerate metal and porcelain crowns.
Lithium Disilicate Crowns
The latest in dental crown technology is lithium disilicate, a type of all-ceramic crown. This type of crown makes for a light and thin denture that dentists can easily customize to fit each patient's natural tooth.
Lithium disilicate crowns look great and are incredibly durable. However, they are more expensive than other dental crowns. In addition, some dentists have reported significant failures when using disilicate crowns for multiple back teeth restorations.
