Restoration of spoiled or decayed teeth has become a norm for dental crowns. A crown is a thing that covers and sits over the tooth. This way, it can encapsulate the tooth in its entirety while restoring the shape, size, and, concomitantly, the strength of the tooth. But when choosing the right kind of dental crown, you might be puzzled: should one go for a metal crown or a porcelain crown? This is a hard choice, mostly because of the options it leaves you open to. This blog examines the choices between “porcelain vs metal dental crowns.” So that you can make a qualified choice when it comes to your dental health.
What Is a Dental Crown?
A dental crown is a cap placed over a tooth that has been damaged in some way. The most common reason is restoring the size, shape, and strength of a tooth to help it look better. Very often, a crown will be required if a tooth is broken, worn down, or badly decayed. They can also be used after a root canal or to cover a dental implant.
Although crowns can be made from a wide range of materials, the most common are metal and porcelain. Each of these has a list of pros and cons, so most will come down to many different variables including your personal preference and your dental needs.
Metal Ceramic Dental Crowns: Durable and Reliable
Metal crowns have been in use since time immemorial and are very strong and hard. The metal crowns could either be gold, platinum, or any other base metal alloy like nickel or chromium.
Advantages of Metal Dental Crowns
- Strength: Metal crowns have the strength to resist the forces emanating from the teeth during chewing and biting. They can bear these forces without wearing them. They are also less susceptible to chipping or breaking and are long-lasting.
- Tooth reduction is minimal: When a metallic crown is seated, minimal portions of your natural tooth are trimmed to serve this purpose, thus ensuring enough of the natural tooth structure is conserved.
- Biocompatibility: Noble metal alloys such as gold are biocompatible. No form of allergy or irritation of the gum upon placement occurs.
- Great Fit: The metal crown fits quite well on the tooth, thus reducing potential bacteria from creeping under it to ravage the decay.
Disadvantages of Metal Crowns
- Aesthetics: One of the significant challenges of using metal crowns is aesthetics; the material used vastly displays a metallic appearance. This is not an esthetic solution for an aesthetic concern zone, more especially the front teeth.
- Cost: These crowns are very costly, especially the gold or platinum varieties.
Porcelain Dental Crowns: Natural and Aesthetic
Porcelain crowns are very commonly used for people who care much about the aesthetics of their teeth. They are fabricated from ceramic materials, otherwise called porcelain, and they have a similar shade to teeth.
Porcelain Dental Crowns: The Advantages
- Aesthetic Appeal: Porcelain crowns are filled with aesthetics since they are naturally created. They color-match your natural teeth and, therefore, could work excellently well, especially on the front teeth.
- Biocompatibility: On another side, this biocompatibility of the porcelain crowns means there is a very minimal likelihood of allergic reactions to them, thus making them relatively safe for patients allergic to metal.
- Stain resistance: While natural teeth may stain due to food and other substances, this is not so for porcelain crowns.
- Flexibility: Porcelain crowns can be used both with front and back teeth, but mainly they are done in the front because it is nicer to look at.
Disadvantages of Porcelain Dental Crowns
- Fragile: porcelain crowns are much weaker compared to metal and may tend to easily chip or crack if such habits as bruxism, or rather tooth grinding, continue.
- More Tooth Reduction: More of the natural tooth has to be removed to place porcelain instead of metal on a crown.
- Costs: Generally, porcelain crowns are costlier compared to metal crowns, especially if high-grade ceramic material is used.
- Wear of Opposing Teeth: With time, porcelain is harder than enamel, thus it tends to wear out opposing teeth.
Factors to Consider When Using Porcelain Vs Metal Crowns for Teeth
When choosing a winner in the fight between porcelain vs. metal dental crowns. You have the following factors are important:
- Tooth Location: Metal crowns can be suggested for the molars and premolars where they are not very much visible while smiling but not in front because, with the porcelain crowns, they appear just like natural ones.
- Durability Needs: You will need to put a metal crown, for instance, if you are preparing to cover the tooth with chewing that happens with very high forces.
- Aesthetic: If the aesthetic appearance of the crown is significant, especially in anterior teeth, then porcelain is the best option. Porcelain crowns are safer for individuals who have a metal allergy.
- Cost: Figure this into the budget. Both are costly types of crowns, though metal crowns, especially those made from noble metals like gold, can notch up a bit more.
Conclusion: Porcelain vs Metal Dental Crown
Metal is strong and durable and, therefore, most preferred in areas at the back of the mouth. On the other hand, porcelain has a pleasant look to the eye. Therefore, this material is highly preferred at the front of the mouth, which happens to be an aesthetically sensitive area. At that point, consider together with your dentist what suits you best regarding your dental health and budget. Dental crowns made from both metal and porcelain can restore your smile and protect your teeth for many years to come if well made.
