So your dental health care professional has recommended that you restore your damaged tooth with a crown. There are many types of crowns available, and each have advantages and disadvantages. Which type of crown you get depends on your specific situation, preference, and your dental health care professional’s recommendation Factors such as the type and extent of tooth damage will help inform the type of crown that will work best for you.
There are several different materials used to create crowns. Which material is selected depends on your specific situation, your personal preference, and your dental health care professional’s recommendation. The following list explains what kinds of materials are used for a dental crown along with some pros and cons of each.
* Porcelain-Veneered Zirconia. This material has the advantages of being strong and having a more natural look. This material is also lower in cost than some of the other options. Disadvantages to porcelain-veneered zirconia is that the porcelain can be prone to being chipped, and in some cases, can irritate the teeth surrounding it.
* IPS e.max (Lithium Disilicate). The main advantage of this material is that it does not require a veneer made of porcelain to make it match your other teeth. The primary disadvantage is that it isn’t quite as strong as some of the other materials and thus, is generally used for back teeth only.
* Porcelain (Ceramic) Crowns. Porcelain crowns tend to better match the color of your natural teeth, which makes it ideal for front-tooth restoration. However, like porcelain-veneered zirconia, it tends to chip more easily, can irritate the surrounding teeth, and is more likely to be damaged from excessive pressure (such as biting on hard foods or other substances or grinding your teeth).
* Porcelain-Fused-to-Metal (PFM). PFM is very durable, which means the crown will likely last longer. It bonds well with the tooth, and the metal foundation gives it added strength. Once again, the porcelain component of this material carries the same disadvantages of other porcelain restorations—the tendency to chip or irritate the teeth around it.
* Gold Alloy. Gold with a metal alloy (usually copper) is one of the strongest materials for crowns. It does not fracture, chip, wear down your teeth, and usually does not irritate the teeth around it. However, it does not look natural and will not match the rest of your teeth. Therefore, this material is usually reserved for back teeth. It is also one of the more costly options.
* Base-Metal Alloy. Base metal alloy is the other strongest material for crowns (along with gold alloy). Similar to gold alloy, it does not fracture, wear down your teeth, and generally does not aggravate the teeth around it. It also resists corrosion, and usually, a smaller amount of the tooth needs to be removed for this type of crown to work successfully.
The primary disadvantages are the same as those of gold: It does not look natural and will not match the rest of your teeth and is also one of the more costly options.
The type of crown you get will depend on several factors. Your dental health care provider will discuss with you the options for your specific situation to make sure your dental crown does its job for years to come.