Dental crowns have been used for decades in dentistry. However, materials and technologies have continued to develop in strength, beauty, and convenience. Single-visit ceramic crowns are a perfect example of this advancement.
Dental Designs of Maryland – White Marsh, MD, offers a variety of restorative dentistry options for patients to choose from. To find the best option for your oral health, call us today at 410.834.4284 to schedule an appointment.
What Are the Primary Options for Dental Crowns?
The two primary crown materials used in modern dentistry are porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) and ceramic.
Porcelain-Fused-to-Metal (PFM)
PFM has been the standard for many years. It consists of a metal shell that fits over the natural tooth with layers of porcelain placed onto the metal shell to give the crown shape and aesthetics. PFM crowns are durable and can be made beautiful if the right lab is used, and they have great bio-compatible properties that make them great for use in the mouth, where they are often in touch with tissue. Because of the layered nature of the crown, it is only made in a dental lab.
Ceramic
Ceramic is the other material predominantly used for crowns. Ceramic crowns are mostly not layered (except for exceptional circumstances) and are milled out of one piece of glass-based resin ceramic. In other words, there is no metal shell underneath the white crown. Because of the lack of metal, ceramic teeth are often more natural-looking than PFMs and offer higher transparency.
They blend in with the surrounding teeth and often are indistinguishable from natural teeth. The downside is that preparing the teeth to accept a porcelain crown can be more technique-sensitive, and if improperly done, the ceramic crown can be weaker than that of a PFM.
Advantages of Ceramic Dental Crowns
Some other significant advantages of choosing a ceramic teeth may include:
- A natural-looking appearance that blends in with surrounding teeth
- Highly resistant to discoloration or staining
- Offers durability and strength comparable to tooth enamel
- Bio-compatible material that eliminates the k of metal allergies
You may not realize it, but the enamel of your teeth has an incredibly complex translucent character that reflects light at different rates and angles, which creates the “pearly” surface that beautiful teeth are known for. Ceramic crowns that offer translucency aim to mimic the characteristics of enamel and give it a lifelike appearance. Unlike a PFM, ceramic crowns have no metal substructure, which requires chalky white porcelain to mask.
Ceramic crowns use the underlying color of your natural dentin to create a natural layered translucency that matches real enamel much more closely. Porcelain is also an extremely bio-compatible material because it contains no metal.
Women, in particular, can be prone to metal allergies, and eliminating its use altogether creates a material that works better in the body. Ceramic teeth are strong and durable. However, they have about the same hardness as tooth enamel, which means there is no excess wear on opposing teeth.
You Can Expect a Same-Day Ceramic Visit at Dental Designs of Maryland – White Marsh, MD
All things being equal, we believe that a ceramic crown is better if adequately prepared and inserted. It offers strength similar to PFM while giving a lifelike luster and translucency you will not find with a metal-based restoration. At Dental Designs of Maryland – White Marsh, MD, we have a Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramic (CEREC) single-visit crown system that can capture a 3D impression of your tooth and create a beautiful ceramic crown in one visit while you wait. This means no more goopy impression material and no more wearing a temporary crown for three weeks. You will have a brand-new permanent ceramic crown by the time you leave.
Don’t let damaged or decayed teeth go untreated any longer. Contact Dental Designs of Maryland – White Marsh, MD, to schedule your appointment today and learn more about the benefits of ceramic teeth.
Call Dental Designs of Maryland – White Marsh, MD, to Schedule an Appointment for a Ceramic Crown Today
Our CEREC single-visit crown system can make you your crown in one visit. This eliminates the traditional use of goopy impression material, as well as waiting for three weeks for a dental lab to make your final crown. Our patients love getting their dental crowns done in one visit.
Our team is dedicated to providing you with high-quality, personalized dental care and helping you achieve a natural-looking, beautiful smile that you can feel confident about. To learn more about our same-day ceramic crowns, contact Dental Designs of Maryland – White Marsh, MD, today at 410.834.4284 or fill out our online contact form to schedule your appointment.