Porcelain crowns are the gold standard for restoration over dental implants and for cosmetic dentistry. They look and feel like natural teeth, reflecting light just enough to look like your natural teeth and blending into your smile seamlessly. Crowns can be made from various other materials, including ceramic, metal alloy, or a combination of materials. Each option has its advantages and disadvantages, so we’ll explore each material and share where to get porcelain crowns in Webster, New York.
What Are Dental Crowns and What Are They Made From?
Dental crowns are tooth-shaped caps fixed over the teeth to protect them and restore their function, strength, and cosmetic appearance. Dentists use crowns to protect teeth that have been compromised from trauma or decay or as a replacement for a missing tooth in the case of a dental implant.
Dental crowns can be made from:
- Porcelain
- Ceramic
- Porcelain and metal
- All metal
- Resin
Pros and Cons of Different Dental Crown Materials
Each material has its pros and cons, including cost, durability, appearance, comfort, and more.
Porcelain Dental Crown
Full porcelain metal crowns are superior for natural tooth color, strength, and durability. These crowns can be fitted and shaped to fill gaps between teeth and blend seamlessly with the surrounding teeth for functionality and appearance.
Porcelain crowns are among the most robust materials, but they’re not quite as strong as zirconia crowns.
Zirconia Crown
After a porcelain crown, zirconia crowns are one of the best options for mimicking the natural tooth color. On their own, they’re strong but may not be as durable as all metal crowns.
Due to their strength, zirconia crowns may cause wear on the teeth opposite them, but not as much as all-metal crowns. These are a good choice for the front and back teeth and are suitable for people with metal allergies.
Porcelain and Metal Dental Crowns
Porcelain and metal crowns have a metal base with a porcelain overlay. These provide the strength of metal alloy with the look and feel of porcelain for the “best of both worlds.”
These come with disadvantages, however. The inner metal layer may show through the porcelain layer, leading to visible dark lines on the tooth or along the gums. The porcelain coating can also chip or break since it’s a thin layer.
All Metal
Metal crowns may be made from metal alloys of gold, platinum, chromium, palladium, or nickel. Metal is the strongest crown material and resists chipping, breakage, and wear and tear, especially biting and chewing forces.
The downside of metal is that it has a visible metallic color and impacts the smile’s cosmetic appearance, and it can be expensive. Dentists typically place metal alloys in parts of the mouth that are not as visible.
Resin
Resin dental crowns are the most cost-effective option, but they come at different costs. This inexpensive crown material is the least resistant to wear and may break more easily than porcelain, metal, or other crown materials.
When Do Dentists Use Dental Crowns?
Porcelain dental crowns are a standard solution to restore damaged teeth. They join the range of options for tooth restoration, including dental bonding, veneers, onlays and inlays, and more.
If trauma or severe decay leads to tooth extraction, your dentist may recommend a dental implant crown to replace a tooth. If your dentist can save your tooth, they may opt to use a porcelain dental crown to strengthen it or improve the cosmetic appearance of the smile. Depending on your oral health circumstances, your dentist will recommend care that best suits you.
Dentists recommend dental crowns when:
- You need a root canal treatment or had a root canal treatment done, and your dentist needs to reconstruct your tooth with a porcelain crown. After a root canal, teeth may weaken and be prone to damage or breakage. A crown restores its strength and functionality.
- Your tooth is severely chipped or broken and can’t be restored effectively with a porcelain inlay or onlay.
- Due to fracture, decay, or cosmetic problems, you need to replace an old crown.
Restore Your Beautiful Smile with Porcelain Crowns in Webster
If you have a tooth that needs extraction and a dental implant or want to improve the cosmetic appearance of your smile, Empire Dental Care can help! Like a regular crown, porcelain crowns are custom-made to match your existing teeth for function and aesthetics. Please contact us online or call us at 585-671-1650 about porcelain crowns or crowns over dental implants in Webster!