A dental crown is a tooth-shaped cap that is placed atop damaged teeth to restore their size, strength and appearance. There are many different types of crowns, including porcelain, resin, zirconia and metals like gold.
If you have a large cavity that’s too big for a filling, a root canal treatment or a cracked tooth, your dentist may recommend a crown.
Porcelain Crowns
There are several types of porcelain crowns available. Each is different and depends on the patient’s needs and budget. They can be used to restore a single tooth or to create a whole smile makeover. All porcelain crowns are a good option for patients with metal allergies and who have s 韓国歯科 ensitivity to temperature changes.
Currently the most popular type of crown is lithium disilicate (E-Max) all-ceramic crowns. These have the best colour match and optical quality to natural teeth. They are also durable and very thin. All-ceramic crowns are good for capping front teeth because they wear less than molars. However, all-ceramic crowns are not a good choice for people who have severe jaw clenching or grinding as they are not very strong.
Traditional metal crowns are made from noble metals such as gold, palladium, nickel and chromium. They are very strong, durable and biocompatible but have a metallic color which can be a drawback for some patients. They are still the best options for out-of-sight molars and can withstand significant biting and chewing forces.
Porcelain fused to metal crowns have been around for over 50 years. They offer strength from the metal core and beauty from the porcelain coat that covers it. The most common reason we use them is to hide severe discoloration or a dark metal post in the core of a root canal treated tooth.
Metal Crowns 韓国歯科
Metal crowns are made of base metal alloys like nickel and chromium (which increase corrosion resistance) or gold, which is used to add strength to the crown. These crowns don’t require much of the natural tooth to be shaved off and they stand up well against biting and chewing forces. Their main drawback is their metallic color, which can’t be matched to the natural tooth shade. They also tend to wear down the teeth that they bite against more than other types of crowns, especially in patients who grind and clench their teeth.
For people who prefer the look of ceramic crowns but need a little more durability, porcelain fused to metal crowns are an excellent option. These crowns have a metal base that attaches to the natural tooth and a top layer that is modeled after the natural tooth with a strong translucent material. Because of this, these crowns can look more natural than full zirconia or porcelain core-only crowns and still offer more strength than their full ceramic counterparts.
Another type of metal crown is a solid Zirconia crown, which are milled as a single uniform block using a computer CAD/CAM system. However, because of their dense, opaque nature it can only support a very thin layer of translucent porcelain that is layered on the surface. This makes them less natural looking than other ceramic crowns, but they do offer more strength and require a lower amount of tooth structure to be removed than most other ceramic crowns.
E-Max Crowns
E-max crowns are fabricated from lithium disilicate which is one of the strongest ceramic materials available. They are also highly translucent making them able to look extremely natural, even when covering a stained or discolored tooth.
This type of ceramic is particularly resistant to wear and tear, as well as extreme hot and cold. It can also withstand heavy biting forces and is one of the most durable and toughest ceramics that can be bonded to your teeth. The fact that it can bond chemically to your tooth means that less of your natural tooth structure has to be removed compared to regular dental crowns which are made of porcelain over alloy.
We offer two primary types of E-max: IPS e.max ZirPress and IPS e.max CAD/CAM Zirconia. Both provide excellent durability and have high survival rates in clinical studies. Both have a higher flexural strength value than traditional PFM restorations, meaning they are more capable of resisting biting forces.
However, despite their increased flexural strength, E-max is still a fairly thin material. This means that they may not be suitable for back teeth or patients who have a powerful bite. Our BruxZir Full-Strength and BruxZir Esthetic zirconia crowns have an improved flexural strength that makes them more suitable for these cases. These crowns can also be fabricated in a single appointment thanks to the CAD/CAM technology that they use.
Resin Crowns
Resin dental crowns are a less expensive option but can wear down quicker than other types of crown. Resin is made by mixing chemical units called monomers with activating chemicals that make them react and change form. This gives the material its durability and strength.
Before receiving a resin crown, your tooth will be numbed with local and topical anesthetics. Your dentist will then remove any decay and reshape your tooth. Your dentist will also take impressions of the teeth above and below yours to ensure the crown fits comfortably within your natural bite (‘occlusion’).
Once you have a resin dental crown, it is important to maintain good oral hygiene to keep the tooth and surrounding gums healthy. Regular brushing and flossing will help to prevent the tooth from becoming infected. It is also important to visit your dentist regularly for cleanings and checkups to avoid any further decay or damage to the tooth.
Traditional dental crowns take at least two visits to complete. On the first visit, your dentist will thoroughly examine your teeth and gums to determine your overall oral health. Next, the tooth is numbed and any existing decay or damaged tissue is removed. The tooth is then reshaped and the preparation is scanned with Primescan (Dentsply Sirona). A temporary crown is placed to protect the tooth until the final restoration is ready.