Porcelain Crown

A dental crown is a cap that encompasses the entire visible portion of your tooth. Its main job is to provide strength to a vulnerable tooth, preserving its function and allowing it to stay in its socket. Crowns can be used in several different situations: • You have a weak or damaged tooth • You have a filling that is too large and could potentially destroy a tooth • You have a tooth that has undergone a root canal • One or more of your teeth are misshapen or discolored • Placing a fixed bridge • Covering a screw for a dental implant ​

You’ve probably heard a lot about how metal crowns are not the best option because they are highly visible due to their color and can take away from your appearance. However, despite their silver (or gold) color, metal crowns offer you several benefits. First, much like ceramic crowns, they (specifically gold crowns) have excellent biocompatibility. This means that they have a similar wear to enamel and won’t cause excessive wear on your adjacent natural teeth. Secondly, metal crowns are easy to fit. This is because the alloy is especially easy to work with, as well as predictable. This means that if the crown needs to be worked on, the alloy is malleable enough to allow for an adjustment. Finally, the biggest benefit of metal crowns is their strength. Because they are made from 100% metal, nothing is stronger. Metal crowns, unlike ceramic or even porcelain fused to metal (PFM), will not chip, crack or break, even under hard biting forces. This makes metal crowns perfect for the molars in the very back of your mouth, especially since in the back they will be much less noticeable. Their strength means that metal crowns have the longest lifespan. It also means that the crown does not need to be very thick. Metal crowns are approximately as thick as a penny, meaning that less of your tooth needs to be trimmed.