As a dentist, one of the most common questions we get asked when a patient is told they need a crown is, “What type of crown should I get, and what are the different materials that you have to offer?” I’m Dr. Rachel Miro, an associate dentist here at Dental Implant and Aesthetic Specialists. Today, we’re going to talk about the three most common types of crowns.
Metal Crowns
The first type of crown that we have is made of metal. These are usually made out of gold or metal alloys. A lot of times, these crowns are recommended for patients who have a really strong bite on their posterior teeth. That’s their back teeth. These crowns are really durable. They have minimal tooth reduction. Obviously, their biggest downfall is the fact that they’re gold. So, for aesthetic purposes, a lot of times, we can’t use them in the aesthetic zone and teeth that you can see when the patient is smiling.
Durability and Cost
The good thing about these crowns, though, is that their life expectancy is about 20 years, so they really do last a very long time. As far as cost goes here at Dental Implant and Aesthetic Specialist, we want to use whatever material is best for the patient, so we actually do not have a different fee based on the material that you choose. Though gold crowns are more expensive to the office, they’re not more expensive to the patient.
Zirconia Crowns
As time has gone on and we’ve moved from metal crowns, we actually have a new type of metal that’s tooth-colored, and it’s Zirconia. In the last couple of years, this has really become a basis of treatment. This is a really strong crown. Zirconia is a type of metal, but luckily for these patients, this crown can actually be made to be tooth-colored. We can actually have it match the color of your tooth.
Benefits and Applications
It also requires minimal reduction, and it’s a really strong crown, one of the strongest materials you can possibly have. Therefore, for patients with a strong bite or issues with occlusion, Zirconia really is a great option to offer you for your posterior teeth.
Porcelain Fused to Metal Crowns
The second type of crown that we have is porcelain fused to metal. The outside of the crown is porcelain, but the inside substructure is made of metal. These crowns are nice because they still give you that metal substructure and strength, but on the outside, they’re a lot more aesthetic than something like a gold crown.
Durability and Aesthetics
These crowns are usually used in the posterior area as well for patients who don’t necessarily want a metal crown but still want that underlying protection for their tooth. PFM crowns usually have a life expectancy of about 15 to 20 years, so even though it’s a little bit less than gold crowns, with proper oral hygiene, flossing, and brushing, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be able to keep these crowns for the rest of your life. Porcelain fused to metal crowns here are the same price as a gold crown or the next crown that we’re going to talk about.
All-Ceramic Crowns
The last type of crown is an all-ceramic crown. These ceramic crowns are incredible, especially in your smile zone, in that area that you can really see. They just really allow light to go through. They allow you to see the natural smile that you want.
Aesthetic Advantages
When I’m talking about all ceramic crowns and the smile zone, what I mean is it’s different for every patient, but basically, when you smile, you can see the teeth you can see when you’re smiling. These are really the teeth that we’re talking about. These metal crowns, either metal substructure or fully metal, obviously are more appealing to most patients, but when you can smile, you want something that’s all ceramic because you really want to be able to have that natural smile. You don’t want anyone to know that what you have on your tooth is a crown.
Personalized Care
Here at Dental Implant and Aesthetic Specialist, we really strive to give you the most natural smile. That being said, we also work to give you the best function we possibly can. So when you come in for a consultation on your crown, and we talk about materials, we make sure to go through all your options and really make a decision on what’s best for you.
Deciding Factors
A lot of patients are wondering, based on age, what type of material crown they should get. Really, that’s not something that we take into consideration. It’s more so where it’s located. The location and the function of that tooth that you’re getting a crown on is really the main deciding factor as to what material we should use.
Conclusion
If you’ve been told you need a crown or you think you might need a crown, come see us. We’re happy to give you a consultation. We’re happy to tell you what material we think is best for you and also work with you depending on what material you feel comfortable with in your own mouth. I’m Dr. Rachel Miro, an associate dentist here at Dental Implant and Aesthetic Specialists, and I’m here to help you watch your mouth.