Dental Crowns: A Solution for Damaged Teeth the Aesthetic and Functional Benefits of Tooth Caps
A dental crown Baltimore Maryland, often referred to as a tooth cap, is a tooth-shaped covering that encases a damaged or decayed tooth, restoring its shape, size, strength, and appearance. Crowns are implemented to safeguard a tooth following root canal treatment, to restore a tooth that has become fractured or cracked, or to enhance the aesthetic appeal of a tooth that is misshapen or discolored.
Types of Dental Crowns Available
Metal Crowns
Dental technicians fabricate dental crown Baltimore Maryland using a range of metals, such as gold, palladium, nickel and chromium. Metal crowns are prone to minimal wear, rarely chip or break, and require only a small amount of enamel removal. They are also capable of withstanding biting and chewing forces. The main disadvantage of this type of crown is its metallic color. Metal crowns are an ideal option for molars that are not visible.
Metal-Ceramic Crowns, specifically those Fused to Porcelain.
PFM crowns combine porcelain’s natural appearance with the strength of metal. Dentists can match these crowns to the color of your own teeth.
Although they are strong, PFM crowns have some disadvantages. Over time, the porcelain coating may flake off, thereby revealing the underlying metal. PFM crowns may also cause the enamel of your opposing teeth to gradually wear down, specifically the teeth that come into contact with the crown when your mouth is closed. Permanent Fixture Metal crowns last almost as long as their porcelain counterparts. They can restore both front and rear teeth.
Ceramic Dental Crowns
A ceramic dental crown Baltimore Maryland that has been pressed into shape has a tough inner core. It shares similarities with a PFM, but its core is made of ceramic rather than metal. A technician melts and presses ceramic in an oven at a very high temperature to create this inner core. They then add multiple layers of porcelain. Similar to all-porcelain crowns, pressed ceramic crowns replicate the translucency of natural tooth enamel.
All-Ceramic or Porcelain-Finished Crowns
Porcelain or all-ceramic crowns closely resemble the appearance of tooth enamel more than any other crown type. They’re also a good option if you have metal allergies.
One of the most widely used materials by lab technicians for creating ceramic dental crown Baltimore Maryland is zirconium dioxide. Zirconia crowns exhibit exceptional durability and are capable of withstanding more substantial forces than other ceramic crown types. They’re also gentle on your opposing teeth, resulting in less wear on the enamel.
In-office dental crowns
Numerous dental professionals utilize CAD/CAM (computer-aided design and manufacturing) technology to fabricate crowns on-site, often within a waiting period. The software enables dentists to create digital replicas of patients’ teeth and subsequently craft bespoke crowns based on these impressions.
All-Resin Crowns
Resin dental crown Baltimore Maryland are typically priced lower than other crown options. In comparison, they are more susceptible to damage and have a higher likelihood of breaking than porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) crowns. Dentists frequently utilize resin to fabricate temporary crowns. On average, they last between three and five years.