Crowns are synthetic caps, usually made of a material like porcelain or substructure of gold which porcelain is then fused to, then placed on the top of the natural tooth. Crowns are typically used to restore a tooth’s function and appearance following a restorative procedure such as a root canal or when there is less tooth structure than filling material, in those cases crowns are often used to restore the tooth.There are several types of crowns: those made out of gold, porcelain fused to gold, and all-ceramic caps.
Gold Crowns
Gold dental crown.
Gold dental restorations offer many advantages to patients. They are extremely durable making them ideal for molars, where the forces from chewing and grinding are most prevalent. The disadvantage of gold restorations is that gold is not esthetically pleasing to look at in a person’s mouth and therefore are usually reserved for the back of the mouth and other less visible locations.
Porcelain Crowns Fused To Gold
Porcelain fused to gold crowns.
When the restoration of teeth require a crown in a area of high biting force, a ceramic porcelain crown strengthened with a metal, typically a gold alloy may be called for. These restorations have been improved over the years since their introduction to dentistry and can rival the cosmetics of an all-ceramic crown when done properly.
Porcelain fused gold crowns look like natural teeth and are stronger than all-ceramic crowns.This system can be matched to your natural teeth to provide an attractive appearance. While not as strong as gold dental crowns, they are a good choice for front and back teeth.
All-Ceramic Crowns
All-ceramic crowns.
Teeth are naturally translucent. Porcelain crowns fused to metal make it impossible to have a translucent restoration that mimics the natural teeth. Only All-Ceramic crowns have such translucency. All-ceramic crowns or “caps” have the nicest appearance in cosmetic dentistry. This cap can be made from pure ceramic or a new reinforced composite resin and is almost indistinguishable from natural teeth.
The disadvantage with all-ceramic crowns is that they are not as strong as porcelain fused to metal crowns and require bonding to the existing tooth and a dentist with expertise in this procedure.