dental crowns
A crown is a restorative that covers, or "caps," a tooth to restore it to its normal shape and size, strengthening and improving the appearance of a tooth. Crowns are necessary when a tooth is generally broken down and fillings won't solve the problem. If a tooth is cracked a crown holds the tooth together to seal the cracks so the damage doesn't get worse. Crowns are also used to support a large filling when there isn't enough of the tooth remaining, attach a bridge, protect weak teeth from fracturing, restore fractured teeth, or cover badly shaped or discolored teeth. Crowns may be placed on natural teeth or dental implants.
Nowadays, there are several types of crowns available to you. The traditional kind is a porcelain-fused to metal, where the inner layer of the crown is a non-precious metal. The disadvantages of using such a metal are the following: poor esthetics - unnatural looking crown with gray line along the gum-line; gum irritation in people with metal allergies; this metal alloy usually contains beryllium, known to cause cancer.
Much better options are metal containing various percentages of gold, 88% gold (Captek) being the best to date. These crowns look very life-like, distinguished by a very good fit due to better casting of gold containing alloys. Also, these metals are very highly polished which prevent bacteria living in micro-pores from colonizing along the edge of the crown. Thus the gum around such crown stays clean and healthy.
Another popular option is all-porcelain crown. It could be fabricated from different porcelain/ceramic materials. Lately, they proved to be as strong as conventional crowns, with better esthetics. Still, there are several factors that need to be taken into consideration when choosing this kind of crown, the most important being your bite - the way your teeth come together, and the need to cut a lot of the tooth structure away to provide for adequate thickness of such crown.
Since we make it our mission to closely follow innovations in dental materials, we will give you an expert advice on the best one to use for your restoration.
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Dental crowns in general add a good deal of strength to weakened or worn teeth. Depending on your habits and the condition of your gums, there can be some drawbacks. Your cosmetic dentist will advise which is best for you given many factors, including how important appearance is to you. The following are the advantages and disadvantages of the most common crown types.
Advantage: The preparation of a tooth for a gold crown is the simplest and least complicated preparation as there is minimal tooth structure removal with as much as possible of the healthy tooth structure remaining untouched. While porcelain is hard by comparison, it may cause wear on opposing teeth over the years where gold is not as likely to do so. Gold is also easier to fit to the area where the tooth and crown meet for a better fit. Gold is also a healthier environment for the gum tissue.
Disadvantage: The biggest disadvantage to gold crowns is the cosmetic aspect, unless it is being used in the back of your mouth.
Advantage: Porcelain crowns or new reinforced resin are considered to be the most aesthetically pleasing, as it is so easily matched in color to the surrounding teeth.
Disadvantage: The thickness of the porcelain required for pleasing aesthetics also requires that more tooth structure needs to be removed. It is more difficult for your cosmetic dentist to get an ideal fit where your gum meets the crown. Gingival inflammation appears to be more common with porcelain crowns than gold crowns. All-porcelain crowns require a higher skill level from your dentist and lab.
Advantage: Porcelain fused-to-metal crowns have a very natural appearance.
Disadvantage: They have a metal substructure and require an opaque below the porcelain. This can make the translucency of natural teeth difficult to replicate. Occasionally a darker line will be visible at the edge of the crown, near to your gum when it recedes with age.
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