Dental crowns are one of the main cornerstones of modern dental practice. Their main purpose is to cover the teeth that are compromised or weakened, so that they may withstand all the forces of chewing and biting without fracture. There are a few types of dental crowns classified according to the material from which they are made. So, what are the different types of dental crowns? Let’s get to know everything about them.
But first, let’s look at why we apply crowns and how their manufacturing works.
Who Needs Dental Crowns?
Crowns can become necessary when the tooth is weak and in need of further protection from harm. This happens in a number of situations such as:
- After root canal treatment
- Trauma and fracture of the teeth
- Loss of a large amount of tooth structure due to decay
How Are Crowns Made?
The process of manufacturing a crown involves a few steps both in the clinic and the laboratory. Your dentist will start off first by making the tooth smaller, preparing it to receive the crown. They would then take molds of the prepared tooth and send it to the lab, which manufactures the crown according to the specs of the mold. The lab returns the crown to the dentist, who then cements it on top of the tooth in question.
What Are the Different Types of Dental Crowns?
1. Metal Crowns
This is the oldest form of crowns that is still available nowadays, although not very common. Metal crowns consist of gold or an alloy of precious metals. Due to their metallic color, these tend to be not very aesthetically pleasing. For that reason, they’re sometimes covered in a layer of porcelain to match the tooth color as much as possible.
2. Zirconium Crowns
One of the first attempts at a nicer aesthetic yet strong and durable crowns. Zirconium crowns are just as strong as metal ones, but white in color. For that reason, they’re far more appealing when it comes to appearance.
3. E-Max (All Porcelain) Crowns
These are kind of a new generation of crowns, where aesthetics are everything. E-Max crowns look as close to natural teeth as possible. If your dentist is experienced, no one would even know you had crowns on. However, they are not as strong as metal or zirconium crowns. That’s why we mostly limit them to front teeth where aesthetics are more important than strength.
Nowadays, zirconium crowns and E-Max crowns are the most predominant. After all, we live in a culture where appearance is important. If you would like to learn more, give us a call anytime and schedule your consultation for dental crowns.
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