All-ceramic crowns are a breakthrough in modern cosmetic dentistry. Gone are the days of an obvious gold crown revealing a flaw in a person’s smile. In fact, in many ways all-ceramic crowns are a step up from porcelain crowns which are fused to metal. Let’s take a closer look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of all-ceramic crowns.
Why All-Ceramic Crowns?
The primary reason to use an all-ceramic crown is aesthetics. The crown can be matched to your other teeth in color and appearance. This makes it difficult to notice that a damaged tooth is being hidden and protected.
The fact that a person has a crown over a tooth is even kept out of sight if the gumline begins to recede. When porcelain fused to metal is used for a crown, a receding gumline can show some of the dark metal, but an all-ceramic crown will not display such a line.
Ceramic is also great for producing a perfect fit. Modern technology allows dentists to match the crown to your other teeth and to create a perfect fitting encasement for the damaged tooth. This is also good for the protection of the tooth.
With all of these benefits, why would anyone use a different type of crown? There are a few reasons.
A Few Disadvantages of All-Ceramic Crowns
With quality comes cost. All-ceramic crowns require craftsmanship on the part of the dentist to match your other teeth and affix the custom fit piece of dental work. This means an all-ceramic crown will often be the more expensive crown option. It is well worth it, but for some the cost is a deal breaker.
Sometimes, durability gets traded for the sake of appearances. Obviously, metal is going to be stronger than ceramic. All-ceramic crowns are designed to be the best balance of beauty and strength. Metal crowns, however, will ultimately be stronger.
Location is another factor. This really goes back to the appearance versus durability concern. For a tooth that will be visible when a person smiles, all-ceramic is an obvious choice. For a rear molar that will be doing most of the heavy chewing, it may be more appropriate to use another type of crown for the sake of making the dental work last longer.
The Bottom-Line on All-Ceramic Crowns
In summary, all-ceramic crowns are a marvel of modern cosmetic dentistry. Just be sure that your dentist is highly skilled in creating and affixing custom crowns. This will ensure that you get your money’s worth.
