A dental crown is a tooth cap placed to cover the tooth to restore its shape, its size and its strength. A bridge is a combination of crowns. Metal ceramic crowns also known as porcelain fused to metal crowns have an inner layer of metal to which tooth colored ceramic is fused at high temperature.

A dental crown may be advised to:

  • Protect a weak tooth (for instance, from decay) from breaking especially after an RCT
  • Restore an already broken tooth or a tooth that has been severely worn down
  • Cover and support a tooth with a large filling when there isn’t a lot of tooth left
  • Hold a dental bridge in place
  • Cover misshaped or severely discolored teeth
  • Over a dental implant

Dental bridges are meant to replace missing teeth by “bridging” the gap between two remaining teeth. The crowns are fitted over the remaining teeth to hold the false tooth in place.

When there are only teeth on one side of the gap, cantilever bridges may be given. Cantilever bridges consist of two side-by-side crowns and only one is connected to the missing tooth.

Materials For Dental Crowns And Bridges

Metal-Porcelain

They combine the strength of the metal along with the esthetics of porcelain. Of course, the porcelain is slightly more prone to chipping, but they are still tough. There are different types of porcelain fused to metal dental crowns:

There is a choice in the metal

  • Precious alloy (89-92% gold alloy, yellow gold color)
  • Semi-precious alloy (54-62% gold alloy, “white gold”)
  • Non-precious (metal alloys, stainless steel color)

Precious alloys with high gold and platinum content are most preferable. One such crown that is commonly used today is called Captek.

The advantages of using Captek are many

  • Provides the most extreme combination of strength and esthetics.
  • Truly the most beautiful metal-based crowns and are highly recommended for all areas of the mouth, front or back.
  • Biocompatible: Captek’s advanced gold material reduces the accumulation of harmful bacteria at the gum line by 90% compared to natural tooth structure.
  • Superior fit: Captek fit is superior to all other restorations.
  • No Black lines at Gum Margins: The light-dispersion effects of Captek crowns are designed to mimic those of healthy natural tooth structure. There is no oxidation, so it will not lead to black lines at the gum margins.
  • Versatility of use: can easily be used for single crowns, implants, and bridges both anteriorly and posteriorly.

The only reason we have gone away from gold under our porcelain fused to metal crowns is the high cost of gold.

Semi-precious metal offers a balance between esthetics and strength at a lower cost than precious metals. It resists oxidation, it casts more accurately than non-precious metal, and it is a very commonly chosen option. But it cannot provide the warmth and beauty of gold-lined porcelain crowns.

Non-precious alloys are made of low-cost metals and have been in use for many decades. They are more difficult to cast (shape) than softer precious metals and therefore offer a less precise fit. Non-precious alloys also tend to oxidize over time) which darkens their color even more and can even stain and “tattoo” the gum.

To know more about metal ceramic crowns or to schedule an appointment contact us!