Dental crowns are a cosmetic dentistry solution for patients who need chipped, broken or decayed teeth restored. If you are a first-time candidate for dental crowns, you should know that dental crowns are not a one-size-fits-all appliance for dental patients. There are several types of dental crowns out there, depending on the kind of material used in their fabrication at a dental laboratory.
Historically, dental crowns have been manufactured using certain metals and metal alloys like gold, titanium, nickel and stainless steel. But today, these dental appliances are available in a range of non-metal materials, which can overcome most of the drawbacks associated with traditional metal and metal alloy products. The use of porcelain as a material for dental crown fabrication, in particular, has become so popular. Here's a rundown of some top reasons why porcelain dental crowns are an attractive alternative to traditional dental crowns made using metal or metal alloys:
Porcelain dental crowns look more life-like
One of the major downsides of metal or metal alloy dental crowns is that they come in metallic colours, which do not resemble the colour of natural teeth. This makes it difficult to make the appliances inconspicuous, as the contrasting colour of metal or metal alloy cannot go unnoticed. Thanks to advances in ceramic technology, porcelain dental crowns can now be fabricated to resemble the exact look of natural teeth. As a matter of fact, no other dental crown fabrication material can match the look of natural teeth better than the way porcelain does. If you are looking for a product that will look just like your remaining natural teeth, then porcelain is the go-to material for dental crowns.
Porcelain dental crowns are thermally non-conductive
One of the mechanical properties of metal or metal alloys used to fabricate dental crowns is that they can conduct heat and become cold, making adjacent teeth sensitive to hot and cold food and beverages. If you like your food and beverages served hot or cold, and do not want to lose your ability to enjoy your meals that way due to teeth sensitivity, porcelain dental crowns would make a perfect alternative to the metal or metal alloy crowns.
While porcelain crowns are superior to metal crowns on some counts, you should know that metal still remains the toughest material for crown fabrication. That explains why these days, porcelain dental crowns are fused to metal or metal alloys so as to increase their strength and resilience, especially for teeth expected to bear up against heavy chewing and biting.
