Ceramic crowns are a common treatment modality in dentistry. A crown may be used to cover and protect existing tooth structure. A combination of crowns (dental bridge) is used to replace one or more missing teeth.

Ceramic Crowns Types

Ceramic crowns are of types: Metal fused to ceramic and metal free ceramic crowns.

Metal Fused To Ceramic Crowns

Metal fused to ceramic crowns have a dual core structure-the inner core is made up of metal over which tooth-colored layer of ceramic is fused.

The metal used in the inner core may be a non- precious metal (alloy of nickel and chromium) a semi-precious metal (containing gold, platinum) to a precious metal (with gold content of more than 80%).

They have in use for over 5 decades now.

Metal Free Ceramic Crowns

As the name suggests, Metal free ceramic crowns (All Ceramic Crowns) do not have any metal.

They are completely made of ceramic material.

Some common brands of Metal free ceramic crowns include Procera, Cercon, IPS Emax, 3M Lava, Zirkon Zahn just to name a few.

Metal Ceramic vs Metal Free Ceramic Crowns

Both the varieties of crowns can be used anywhere in the mouth (both anterior and posterior teeth) but for anterior teeth Metal free crowns are the material of choice. This is because in metal ceramic crowns a dark line is displayed along the gum margin when the crown is fitted, this is an optical phenomenon caused by blockage of light by metal inside the crown.

Ceramic crowns, in general can chip. When this chipping happens in Metal ceramic crowns there is a display of underlying metal which looks unaesthetic. All ceramic crowns rarely chip but even if they do, it is hardly visible.

All ceramic crowns are compatible with MRI while metal ceramic crowns are not.

Metal ceramic crowns are cheaper than all ceramic variety.

It might appear that metal free ceramic crowns are weak compared to metal ceramic variety but it is actually not. They are very tough and highly durable.

Metal free crowns are made by CAD/CAM procedure so their accuracy of fit is very high. Metal ceramic crowns today are also made by CAD/CAM though handmade versions are still very popular.

Procedure

The procedure of Crown fabrication begins with tooth preparation. The tooth is trimmed and shaped and an impression of the tooth is recorded. This impression is sent to the dental laboratory for crown fabrication. Once ready the crown is tried on the tooth and checked for fitting and contacts. After all adjustment, the crown is cemented to the tooth using special dental cements.

Care

After care of crown needs no special care. Regular brushing and flossing is advised to keep the mouth clean. This along with regular dental check-ups goes a long way to ensure that these crowns last you for decades.

Dr. Garg’s Multispeciality Dental Centre is a leading dental clinic in Delhi, offering Dental Crown at an affordable price. We have a team of highly experienced and qualified dentists who are experts in dentistry and can help you achieve your dream smile with Dental Crown and Bridges. For more information contact our site or call +91-9810232685

Ceramic Crowns: Types, Procedure & Care