Crown Materials and Why They Make a Difference

You don’t need to be a dentist to understand dental crowns.  When a tooth is cracked or the tooth has significant decay or the tooth threatens to fall apart, a dentist places a dental crown on the tooth to prevent further deterioration.  As the name implies, a crown covers your tooth, and is custom-fit to take stress off the damaged tooth and get you back to chewing your food pain-free.

Dental crowns are a long-term solution to tooth repair.  They’re cemented in-place and take over the entire workload of the tooth.  Because you have different types of teeth and each type serves a purpose, crowns aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution.  They’re made from a variety of materials that have a dramatic impact on the outcome of your crown’s installation and purpose.  Here’s a look at some of the most common crown materials.

Ceramic (Porcelain)

The most popular option for dental crowns is ceramic.  They respond with the bite force of a typical tooth and even replicate the normal indentations of your teeth.  These custom-molded crowns are made entirely from porcelain and built to mimic the look of your natural teeth.  That normal look in your mouth comes at a cost, however.  Ceramic dental crowns can be the most expensive type of crown.

Gold Alloy

Gold dental crowns may not be subtle, but they are incredibly strong and long-lasting.  They’re also excellent for protecting teeth long-term, since plaque and bacteria have a difficult time clinging to gold – its microscopic smoothness is a big benefit and much of the reason gold is used for fillings and crowns.  Gold alloy crowns are usually gold-reinforced with some other metal to strengthen it, like chromium.  If you don’t mind the shine, gold dental crowns are very strong and are less expensive than Ceramic crowns.

Porcelain Fused to Metal

Traditional porcelain crowns are combined with metal to create a much stronger dental crown than ceramic alone. These crowns have a superior record for success and a reputation for being extremely long-lasting.  They tend to cost less than all porcelain crowns.  But due to having metal inside, they are mainly used for back teeth for those that want tooth colored crown.

The Confidence to Chew Pain-Free

No matter what crown material you choose, the goal is the same: protect the tooth from breaking down, while restoring your capacity to chew pain-free.  Any of these protective materials will do the trick, and your general dentist likely has suggestions for which material is best-used in each situation.

If you have questions about dental crowns or the materials used to make them be sure and ask your dental professional.

Your Surrounding Gum Tissue

After you have had your crown placed, occasionally the gums around that crown will react in an adverse way.  There could be several reasons for chronic or acute inflammation about the gum tissue of a tooth with a crown.  If you are experiencing sore or swollen gums around or near a crown, call Levenson Periodontal Associates for a thorough examination and correct diagnosis.  A treatment recommendation will be made to prevent loss of the crown and allow your gum tissue to be healthy again.