Dental crowns ( sometimes referred to as caps ) are used to improve the appearance of teeth or to restore badly broken teeth when there is insufficient tooth to hold a filling. They can be made of metal, ceramic or a combination of both depending upon the specific needs of the treatment. The latest metal free crowns and bridges provide very life-like aesthetics and can transform a smile while strengthening the teeth at the same time.
Types of dental crowns
Metal ceramic crowns are still the most common choice of our patients because of the very reasonable price, excellent performance and solid aesthetic components. They are made of a metal matrix which is upholstered in the finest ceramic. They lack the natural translucency, but a skilled technician can achieve satisfactory aesthetics and the tooth can hardly be distinguished from the natural.
Full ceramic crowns are made from pure ceramic characterized by high aesthetics due to its translucency, and are thus able to fully mimic natural teeth. They are generally used for front teeth. Medical porcelain used for the fabrication of crowns guarantees a perfect natural shine, but it cannot be placed over a new generation basal implant.
Ceramic zirconium crowns are made of zirconium and coated ceramic. Zirconium crowns give incomparable aesthetic results. They are very strong and biocompatible, so it is possible installing these crowns in any situation. Thanks to their strength they are used both for front and rear teeth. The crowns and bridges in zirconia are the most natural solution in implantology. Because of the construction process, these crowns are the most expensive.
Benefits of full ceramic ( Zirconia ) dental crowns compared to metal ceramic dental crowns
- Strength – E.max ceramics for strength 3 times higher than that of tooth enamel.
- Aesthetics – Complete ceramic fully mimics the optical properties of natural teeth. Properties such as opalescence, fluorescence and transparency are fully transferred in the ceramic resulting in a crown that cannot be distinguished from natural teeth.
- Biocompatibility – Ceramics, unlike metal, does not cause allergies and tissue tolerates it perfectly.
Disadvantages of full ceramic ( Zirconia ) dental crowns compared to metal ceramic dental crowns
- Complicated production – Production of all-ceramic crowns is very complex, both for dentists and for technicians.
- Price – Due to the complexity of making, all ceramic crowns are financially more demanding than metal-ceramic crowns.
Video animation of the procedure of installing dental crown