Types of Dental Crowns

Dental Crowns are basically classified into three types: Metal or Gold Crown, Porcelain or Ceramic Crown and Porcelain-fused-to-metal or PFM Crown. The first type of crown can be made any or in combination of gold, palladium, nickel or chromium alloys thus they are called Gold or Metal Crowns. These crowns are ideal for use on the back teeth and when appearance is not an issue to the patient because the color of these crowns ranges from yellow to silver. Gold and metal crowns are exceptionally durable and are generally used in molars, where the forces from chewing and grinding are most concentrated. Gold will never chip and has the greatest potential to lasts for very long time. The wear rate of a gold crown is about the same as tooth enamel. This means that a gold dental crown will not create excessive wear on the teeth it bites against. The gold metal is extremely workable making gold crowns a more precise fit than any other type of materials.

When the patient’s primary concern is aesthetic and when tooth to be crowned is prominently located on the front side of mouth, then porcelain or ceramic crown will be likely be prescribed. The thickness of porcelain crowns possess a translucency that makes them the most cosmetically pleasing of all of the different types of dental crowns. Ceramic crowns resemble natural teeth and are primarily use on the front teeth. They are mildly tough and are probably the most popular cosmetic option.
The new reinforced resin or bonded all-porcelain type of crown has the most wonderful appearance. This crown can be made from pure ceramic or a new reinforced composite resin, and is almost indistinguishable from natural teeth. The new bonding technology involved provides an exceptional bond on tooth. It is metal-free, and thus satisfies the needs of patients with metal sensitivities. When correcting your back teeth with bonding, the cosmetic dentist will perform a tooth colored onlay. This type of procedure is used to correct only those parts of the tooth that are in need.

Although they can be very life like in appearance, the overall strength of all-porcelain dental crowns is less than other types of crowns. While this can be a good choice for front teeth, porcelain crown is not the best choice for back teeth due to the heavy chewing and biting activities that back teeth do.

For the correction of both aesthetic and structural damage dentist might prescribe porcelain-fused-to-metal or PFM crowns. These crowns are combination of metal crowns and porcelain crowns. PFM are stronger than ceramic crowns and look like normal teeth.
When they are made the dental technician first makes a shell of metal that fits over the tooth. A veneering of porcelain is then fused over this metal in a high heat oven, giving the crown a white tooth-like appearance. Depending on the situation of the patient, these crowns are sometimes made where the porcelain veneer only covers those aspects of the crown that is readily visible while the other portions of the crown have a metal surface. In other cases these crowns are pretty much fully surfaced with porcelain.

Porcelain-fused-to-metal dental crowns can be a good choice for either front or back teeth. These crowns are strong enough to withstand heavy biting pressures and at the same time can have an excellent cosmetic appearance. However, there are some disadvantages associated with porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns because the porcelain material of this crown can sometime breaks off. There are also possibility that the porcelain surface of the crown can create wear on those teeth that it bites against. The metal that lies underneath a crown's porcelain layer can sometimes be obvious as a dark line found right at the crown's edge. Even the dentist positioned this dark edge underneath the tooth; this can still be visible when the patient’s gums recede. This will spoil the teeth appearance of the patient. Choosing on what type of crown should be used generally depend on the dentist’s recommendation as to which type will be most appropriate in the patient’s situation and lifestyle.