Understanding Dental Crown Materials And Concerns

If you’ve been told you need a dental crown, you have material choices and other concerns to consider. When you make the right choices, however, you can have a strong and beautiful dental restoration that lasts for you years.

First, you must consider the material choices. Dental crowns can be made from:

• stainless steel, which is usually used for primary teeth in children or for temporary crowns for adults. Strong and relatively inexpensive, these aren’t the best choice when you want a natural look.
• metal alloy, which is easy to fit and often soft. The metal can leach into the underlying tooth, however, turning it black and causing a metallic taste. But these soft crowns don’t cause much wear and tear on surrounding teeth.
• PFM or porcelain fused to metal, which is the most common type of dental crown in use today. Combing the strength of metal underneath with the beauty of porcelain on top, these look good but can cause chipping or excessive wear on nearby teeth.
• all ceramic, porcelain or resin crown, which are the best looking. Not as strong as metal, these look more like natural teeth than any other material and can actually look better than the tooth did originally.

In addition, you should take some other things about the crown into consideration. These include:

• whether the crown is American made or made in a foreign lab that may choose inferior materials. Some even use recycled materials in their dental crowns. You can ask to see the lab slip for your restoration to find out where it was made and what it contains.
• how long the crown will last. The best ones can last a decade up to 15 years, but inferior crowns may not last five years. Some dental labs will provide a one-year warranty to help ease your mind.
• whether you want a lab-made provisional crown. Such a crown can help you see what your permanent crown will look like so you can address any concerns about color, shape size. Be sure to address concerns with the dentist so your permanent crown can be made to your specifications.
• what the finished crown looks like. You want to see it before it’s permanently cemented in your mouth so that you have one more chance to address any cosmetic concerns. You deserve a piece that’s made to your exact specifications. The dentist may be able to make some adjustments — or the crown may have to be remade if there are significant concerns.

No matter what material you choose or who you choose as your dentist, you deserve a minimum level of care. That means you deserve a sturdy dental crown that will restore your ability to talk and eat normally. And you have the right to insist on the very best quality you can afford or that your insurance coverage will allow.

Not all crowns are alike, as it turns out, and neither are all dentist. Choose a dentist who can help you get a dental crown that works for you and your unique needs and desires.

Appointment, please call (619) 630-7174