Porcelain Crowns

Before choosing the material for a replacement dental crown one needs to understand the role the crown plays in occlusal function. Most Cincinnati cosmetic dentists will make the appropriate recommendation to their patient based on the individual need, the kind of demands the crowns will have placed upon them, the amount of space available, and the amount of durability needed.

Crowns, or "caps", are generally manufactured from three types of materials; but the material used most often is porcelain. One type of porcelain is pure porcelain or ceramic crowns; the other is porcelain merged with metal. Of the two, the porcelain fused to metal is the most durable due to the strength of the inner metal core made of gold or a dental safe amalgam metal. These types of crowns are a sensible choice in terms of aesthetics as they can be made to match the color of the original tooth quite easily.

The preparation of the tooth before the placement of any type of crown will affect the success of the crown restoration treatment. This presents a difficulty with the porcelain on metal crowns as they require a significant amount of space around the tooth to apply them securely.

Problems with the porcelain on metal crowns could also arise when a patient’s gum slowly recedes with age revealing some of the metal beneath the outer porcelain cover.

Crowns made exclusively of porcelain are nothing but ceramic materials like zirconia and other aluminous material. While they are easier to fit, because they do no have the inner metallic core, they are not nearly as durable as the porcelain-on-metal crowns. Pure porcelain crowns are much more natural looking and are often the crown material of choice. If a crown is chosen only for aesthetic appeal, chances are it will be the all-porcelain variety, if it is at all feasible.

Two visits to the dentist are usually required to complete this treatment. In the first visit the dentist prepares the affected and surrounding teeth, if necessary, and fit a temporary crown to the compromised tooth. On the second visit, the final crown will be placed.

People with partial dentures may also need crowns applied to the teeth that will be used to secure their partial dentures.

Because placement of crowns and conventional partial dentures means the grinding down of, in some cases, perfectly fine teeth, implant placement is the treatment modality of choice for Cincinnati cosmetic dentists wherever possible.