All Porcelain Crowns or Porcelain Fused to Metal?
Porcelain fused to metal crowns may be strong, but they often look fake.
A crown is not a crown is not a crown! If you are deciding what type of crown is best for you – an all porcelain crown or a porcelain fused to metal crown – this blog will help by describing and showing you these types of crowns and explaining their advantages. Your dentist should also be able to tell you the advantages and disadvantages of different types of crowns and why one type may be best for certain situations. In our office can show you many photos of crowns that we have completed and we would be happy to answer your questions to find the type of treatment that is right for you and for your teeth!
When they are done well, an all porcelain crown is strong and beautiful!
Porcelain fused to metal crowns may be strong, but they often look fake.
In the photos shown here, you will see both all porcelain crowns and porcelain fused to metal crowns to restore the front teeth. Although the porcelain fused to metal crowns have functioned well for years, they are not aesthetic. Our patient was unhappy with her smile. Her main concerns were the following:
- The crowns do not look real, they look like fake teeth
- The crowns are too opaque and too dark
- There are gaps between the teeth that often look like I have something stuck there
- The crowns make the teeth look old
In a porcelain fused to metal crown, the tooth is covered in a thin layer of metal before the porcelain is added to make the crown ‘tooth colored’. How can you tell if the crowns are porcelain fused to metal?
- You will often see a dark or black line at the edge of the crowns where the metal shows through
- The crowns are often opaque due to the opaque layers of porcelain that must be used to hide or masque the metal
- On a dental x-ray, you cannot see the tooth through the crown
Note the much improved smile with the use of all porcelain crowns on the front teeth!
Why would dentists use porcelain fused to metal?
- Porcelain fused to metal used to be the strongest type of crown that was still tooth colored.
- Porcelain, especially older porcelains, can be prone to fracture and the metal below the porcelain provides support.
- The crown could be metal on the inside or tongue side of the tooth and metal is kind to the teeth chewing against the crown.
- All porcelain crowns should ideally be bonded to the teeth and there may be conditions where it is not possible to bond the crowns in place and the crown must be cemented.
- Sometimes a dentist will only do the types of crowns that they have been doing for years and porcelain fused to metal crowns have been around for years.
- The dentist’s laboratory may not be skilled at doing all porcelain crowns.
Our office completed a thorough examination and noted that the gums were very healthy and the teeth looked great on an x-ray. We replaced the unaesthetic porcelain fused to metal crowns with all porcelain crowns and achieved a much more natural looking result. Our office and our patient were very pleased with the result! We still place porcelain fused to metal crowns in some situations and we would be happy to let you know the best type of crown for your teeth and your specific situation! You can find more information about types of crowns in our other blogs or by visiting our website at www.juliegillisdds.com, We appreciate the opportunity to provide you with the best dental care! Weather you live in Grand Junction, Colorado, Fruita, Colorado, Palisade, Colorado, Delta, Colorado, Montrose, Colorado, or any neighboring city; we would love to see you! We see many patients from Utah as well.