Best Possible Alternative
Dental Crowns are great solutions for clients with severely decayed, chipped or cracked teeth. A crown allows its owner to eat and drink normally while providing a long-lasting shield against further decay. Modern materials used to make crowns are not as strong as natural enamel but are the best possible alternative aesthetically and functionally.
Crowns are made custom to replicate and protect the defective teeth they cover or cap off. Therefore, they come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. A dental crown looks like the top half of a tooth. If color matched to your natural teeth, it can be very difficult to spot a crown. However, some like to show off their caps, even having them made from precious metals and stones, even diamonds. FYI. Erbsville Dental doesn’t make caps from diamonds, but they do offer enough options to suit your needs. Material used to make crowns today include…
Porcelain
If you want the most natural look then porcelain is a great choice. Especially if your tooth is one of the most seen teeth in your mouth then you may want to have it looking as close as possible to a natural tooth. It may not be the most durable type of crown but if cared for it can last 20 years or more.
Stainless steel
Most used during the interim while your permanent crown is being made, stainless steel is both strong and resists bacteria. A stainless-steel tooth looks nothing like a natural tooth and for that reason they’re not usually kept indefinitely unless you’re a villain in a James Bond movie. Other temporary crowns are made from acrylic-based metals.
Gold
Not as common as titanium and porcelain, gold is still used in crowns. Primarily gold is found capping molars and back teeth, but the odd star will have polished gold incisors that sparkle in the light.
Titanium
Durable, light, and resistant to decay, titanium is a great material for crowns. It lasts the longest and is a commonly used metal for caps. However, it is expensive, probably the most expensive choice next to custom diamond caps. A negative quality is that titanium isn’t similar in color to natural teeth and stands out as different.
Porcelain and Metal Combinations
Imagine the durability of titanium and the natural look of porcelain that’s exactly the idea behind porcelain and titanium hybrid caps. Possibly the best solution but as you can imagine very expensive and out of reach for many.
Resins
Jake Burton (Snowboard Mogul) is not the only one who can use resins to create awesomeness. Very common and inexpensive, dental resins have been used to make decent crowns that look pretty natural. Resins can be made to color match natural teeth and new formulas are being developed to improve on their durability.
Is a Crown Right for You?
A dentist is trained to know the best treatment procedure for each unique situation. Your dentist can look at your mouth and the condition of the affected tooth and give you appropriate options best suited for you. Do you need a crown or just a filling, should a tooth be pulled, is an implant needed? The final decision is yours to make but if a crown is on the table, then here are a few reasons why?
Reasons for Dental Crowns
Crowns are often used for aesthetic reasons. If an accident has severely damaged the look of a tooth or teeth a crown or bridge may be a good fix. Sometimes a tooth becomes very week from infection, cavities, or a previous root canal. Large fillings are sometimes replaced with crowns, and an old crown may need to be replaced because of wear. Lastly, crowns are sometimes used to realign your bite.
Erbsville Dental
Your dentist will help you choose the best treatment plan available for any dental problem you may have. Erbsville Dental makes beautiful crowns when needed, talk to Dr. Mathews today about the many options available to you.