Crown and Bridges

Types of crowns

Our Dentist can do a comprehensive dental Exam and determine if a crown or a bridge is a solution to help you. There are several choices and our Dentist can recommend what can suit you better within budget.

Stainless steel crowns:

are prefabricated crowns that are used on permanent teeth primarily as a temporary measure. The crown protects the tooth or filling while a permanent crown is made from another material. For children, a stainless steel crown is commonly used to fit over a primary tooth that’s been prepared to fit it. The crown covers the entire tooth and protects it from further decay. When the primary tooth comes out to make room for the permanent tooth, the crown comes out naturally with it. In general, stainless steel crowns are used for children’s teeth because they don’t require multiple dental visits to put in place and so are more cost- effective than custom-made crowns and prophylactic dental care needed to protect a tooth without a crown.

Porcelain bonded (fused) to metal crowns:

It can be colour matched to your adjacent teeth (unlike the metallic crowns). However, more wearing to the opposing teeth occurs with this crown type compared with metal or resin crowns. The crown’s porcelain portion can also chip or break off, occasionally. Next to al, ceramic crowns, porcelain fused to metal crowns look most like normal teeth. However, sometimes the metal underlying the crown’s porcelain can show through as a dark line, especially at the gum line and even more so if your gums recede. These crowns can be a good choice for front or back teeth.

Zirconium (all Porcelain) Crowns:

a provide the best natural color match than any other crown type and may be more suitable for people with metal allergies. They are stronger than porcelain fused to metal crowns and they wear down opposing teeth a little more than metal or resin crowns. These type ceramic crowns are an idea choice for front teeth giving superior aesthetics and do not have the “dark marginal line” that can be associated with porcelain fused to metal crowns.

Porcelain Jacket crowns, all-ceramic dental crowns (non-zirconium):

All porcelain dental crowns provide better natural colour match than other crown type and may be more suitable for people with metal allergies. However, they are not as strong as porcelain fused to metal crowns or zirconium crowns and they wear down opposing teeth a little more than metal or resin crowns. All-ceramic crowns are a good choice for front teeth.

Metal Crowns:

Metals used in crowns include gold alloy, other alloys (for example, palladium), or a base-metal alloy (for example, nickel or chromium). Compared with other crown types, less tooth structure needs to be removed with metal crowns, and tooth wear to opposing teeth is kept to a minimum. Metal crowns withstand biting and chewing forces well and probably last the longest in terms of wear down. Also, metal crowns rarely chip or break. The metallic colour is the main drawback. Metal crowns are a good choice for out-of-sight molars, where aesthetics are not of primary concern.

All resin dental crowns:

are less expensive than other crown types. However, they wear down over time and are more prone to fractures than porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns. These type of crowns are very rarely used excempt for temporary crowns (see below)

Temporary crowns:

Temporary crowns can be made in the dental surgery, whereas permanent crowns are made in a dental laboratory. Temporary crowns are made of acrylic or stainless steel and can be used as a temporary restoration until a permanent crown is constructed by a lab.

Dr. Jigna. T. Thakkar, DDS 630-377-8400

Crown