Types of Dental Crowns
Florence, AL
 Your teeth are very strong. They are the strongest substance in your body. Even so, they can still be faced with different types of damage and decay that can compromise their strength and their health, leaving you susceptible to further damage, shattering, splitting, and painful infections. Damaged teeth need to be examined right away. In many cases, they can be restored, which allows them to stay in their sockets. At Singing River Dentistry, we can restore damaged teeth with dental crowns.
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What is a Dental Crown?
A crown is a dental restoration used to treat damaged or decayed teeth. It is a cap-like restoration that resembles the crown of a natural tooth in shape. The center is hollowed out, allowing the crown to encompass the entire visible surface of the affected tooth. It functions to hold the damaged tooth together, preventing further damage, while also preventing infections. Crowns also work to restore strength to damaged teeth, allowing them to function normally.
Base Metal Crowns
Base metal crowns are metal alloys, which is a mixture of metals. Metal crowns are by far the strongest crowns available and can withstand some of the strongest biting and chewing forces. This makes them ideal for restoring teeth at the back of the mouth, where pressures are naturally greater. With proper care, metal crowns have been known to last 50 years or more. They also require the least amount of tooth structure to be removed to be placed. The metal is resistant to corrosion and is gentle against neighboring teeth. The biggest disadvantage to metal crowns is that they are silver in color, which makes them stand out against your natural teeth.
Gold Crowns
Gold crowns are another type of alloy, consisting of gold, copper, and other metals. Like base metal crowns, gold crowns are incredibly strong and will not fracture, even under the pressures of your back teeth. Gold is a biocompatible material, meaning that it will not irritate your gums, and it will not corrode. It is also very gentle against neighboring teeth. Like base metal crowns, the biggest disadvantage to these crowns is their color. They are gold in color, which makes them stand out against the rest of your teeth.
Porcelain Fused to Metal Crowns
Porcelain fused to metal crowns, also called PFM crowns, consist of a metal base and a porcelain coating. The metal base surrounds your tooth, providing it with the same protection as other metal crowns. The porcelain coating on the outside helps to provide a more natural appearance. In some situations, however, a metal line can be seen through the porcelain, which gives the crown away. These types of crowns also require a moderate amount of tooth structure to be removed.
Ceramic Crowns
A ceramic crown provides the most aesthetic results. It is made entirely out of ceramic, a material that can be made to perfectly match the color of your surrounding teeth. Ceramic also reflects light just like natural tooth enamel. This makes ceramic crowns perfect for teeth in the front of your mouth. The greatest disadvantage to ceramic crowns is that they can crack or chip under extreme pressure, which means these types of crowns may not be a good fit for molars at the back of the mouth.
Benefits of a Dental Crown
No matter what type of crown you choose, they all provide several benefits. These benefits include:
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Protecting damaged teeth from further harm.
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Preventing painful tooth infections.
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Restoring the strength of the affected teeth, allowing them to function normally once again.
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Anchoring a dental bridge in place.
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Protecting a root canal.
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Preventing the need for tooth extraction. |
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With a crown, we can preserve a damaged tooth, restoring its strength and preventing the need for tooth extraction. For more information on dental crowns, and to find out which material is right for you, call Singing River Dentistry at 256-712-3549 today.
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