There are several possible reasons why you may need dental crowns.
As you grow older, your teeth become more damaged and you may need a dental crown to restore your teeth to their normal size and shape.
Crowns may also cover, protect or restore teeth, and they may be used to keep your dental bridge in place.
Dental crowns can be made from several types of materials:
- Stainless steel crowns are mostly used on permanent teeth as a temporary measure while a more permanent crown is made from another type of material. They’re also used for children’s decayed primary teeth to protect them from further decay. The crown comes out with the primary tooth when the permanent teeth emerge.
- Metal crowns use gold alloy, base-metal alloys, and other alloys. There’s less tooth wear in opposing teeth when this is used. In addition, metal crowns last the longest in terms of wear, and they stand up to chewing and biting well. They also don’t break or chip easily. But they look unnatural, which is why they’re often used for molars that are out of sight.
- Porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns, unlike the metallic versions, can be made to match the color of the nearby teeth. These are the most natural-looking crowns next to all-ceramic dental crowns and are popular for front or back teeth. However, the porcelain portion can break off or chip. It’s also possible for the metal part to show through as a dark line especially when your gums recede.
- All-resin crowns are comparatively inexpensive. But they’re more likely to fracture and they wear down more quickly.
- All-ceramic or all-porcelain crowns provide the best natural color match to your adjacent teeth, which makes them suitable for front teeth. These are also great for people with allergies to metals. But they’re not as strong as the porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns and they cause more wearing for opposing teeth than resin or metal dental crowns.
If you need dental crowns, contact us to get the most suitable type of crown for your teeth right here at Coastal Smiles Family Dentistry.