When you need dental crowns to restore missing, broken, or damaged teeth, it’s important to know how different dental crowns are made so you can choose the best option for your smile restoration.
Although dental crowns have used materials such as metal in the past, today, porcelain ceramic crowns are the most common. However, the way dental crowns are made is just as important as the materials used.
Let’s take a closer look at the different methods for crafting dental crowns and why each method can ultimately affect the outcome of your treatment.
Milled Crowns (CAD/CAM)
Computer-Aided Design and Manufacturing, also called CAD/CAM or milled crowns, is one way dentists make crowns. You may have heard these crowns referred to as “same-day” dental crowns or “chairside” crowns.
The crowns are made by a machine using stock images as a reference to create the shape of the crown. Although they are easy to make, these crowns cannot be truly customized based on your unique smile. As a result, the crown is less likely to fit correctly or may need multiple adjustments to be comfortable in your mouth.
Milled crowns also do not accurately replicate the natural translucency of teeth, which can make them look more opaque and artificial in the mouth [1].
Third-Party Commercial Lab-Made Crowns
Another way dentists commonly make dental crowns is to send the patient’s measurements out to a third-party lab to create the dental crown. The technicians at these labs never meet the patient and only have the measurements for reference when crafting the crown.
The quality of these crowns can be less consistent, as dental laboratory technicians don’t need to be licensed to do the work. These crowns may not perfectly match the patient’s smile or have an ideal fit, which can affect the patient’s comfort and the crown’s longevity [2].
Custom In-House Crafted Crowns
In-house crafted dental crowns are made by an on-site lab at your dentist’s practice, not a third-party lab. This method of creating crowns allows technicians to work directly with patients to ensure a perfect fit, along with the correct shade and translucency to match the patient’s remaining natural teeth.
Unlike milled crowns that use a machine and stock photos, custom crowns allow your dentist to create a crown that ultimately provides a better fit and greater durability for a longer lasting restoration [3]. Crowns made at an in-house lab allow patients to have a high-quality restoration for ultimate function, aesthetics, and durability for their smiles.
Talk to Your Dentist About Your Crown Options
When you need a dental crown, it’s imperative to choose the right option for your smile to ensure proper function and durability in addition to a beautiful smile. Ask your dentist how they craft their dental crowns and compare your options to make the best decision for your smile restoration!
Sources:
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4378803/
2. https://www.amjdent.com/Archive/2010/February%20PDFs/REICH%20-
%20The%20occlusal%20precision%20of%20laboratory%20versus%20CAD%20CAM%20proc
essed%20all-ceramic%20crowns.pdf
3. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0227050
