When it comes to dental crown, there are many things we need to keep in mind. Being a prosthetic work to replace the missing tooth and its functions, the dental crown has to be functional, durable, but also aesthetic.
What makes a dental crown functional and aesthetic at the same time?
The most important aspect is the material from which the crown is made of. The most popular ones are those fabricated on metal-ceramic support or on zirconium support.
What is the difference between these types of crowns?
The metal-ceramic crowns consist of a metal interior or base (supporting skeleton) which is fused to ceramic crowns. Due to the fusion made of the metal with the ceramic layer, these crowns have high strength and provide protection for the tooth.
Also, the ceramic from which the crown is made is available in many colors and can be chosen according to the color of the natural teeth.
Besides these functional and aesthetical aspects, the metal-ceramic crowns are also cheaper than other types of crowns, becoming the most used type of dental crowns.
However, since the ‘90s the crowns made on zirconium support (a very resistant synthetic diamond) have begun to take the place of the metal-ceramic crowns.
This type of crowns presents a variety of functional and aesthetical advantages. Because they are metal free, zirconium crowns don’t cause any allergic reaction and they are highly compatible with the human body. In terms of aesthetics, these crowns best imitate natural teeth. Being translucent, they allow the light to pass through them, giving the teeth a natural look.
The dental crowns on zirconium support are also very indicated for the front teeth because, in the case of bite pressures, metal-ceramic crowns can break.
With regard to the price, the zirconium crowns are more expensive than other types of crowns, due to the fact that they require advanced technology, computer technology, the techniques used being very efficient.