All-Ceramic Crowns Help Give You a Beautiful Smile

By Dr. Anasinski

There are times when tooth decay has destroyed a large portion of a tooth or has weakened it so significantly that a filling (or even an inlay or an onlay) is no longer a good option. When that happens, your dentist can use a crown (also known as a dental cap) to fit over your tooth and strengthen the structure of the tooth as well as restore its appearance and functioning capacity to that of a natural tooth. When a crown is needed your dentist can choose from a variety of different materials from which a crown can be created: metal, porcelain-fused-to-metal, all-resin and all-ceramic or all-porcelain.

In most cases, however, because of the features they offer that aren’t available with most crowns, an all-ceramic crown is often the best choice for repairing a tooth that needs to be capped. To begin with, all-ceramic crowns provide the best color match which helps them blend in with your natural teeth making them a desirable choice for capping front teeth or ones that show when you smile. Because there is no metal in the crown, there is no unnatural grey color near the gum line that typically occurs with crowns that are made of metal or even porcelain-fused-to-metal. The absence of this grey line helps the crown easily blend in with your natural teeth and because all-ceramic crowns are “tissue-friendly,” they encourage your gums to grow back up against your tooth as it would do with your natural teeth. Ceramic crowns are also exceptionally strong and durable and with proper dental care will last for a number of years.

When you have a cavity and your dentist determines that the natural crown of your tooth has been damaged beyond repair and needs to be replaced, he or she will prepare your tooth by removing the decay and reshaping the tooth to make room for the crown. An impression will be made of that area of your mouth and will be sent to a dental lab where your ceramic crown will be made. During the interim, your dentist will prepare a temporary crown that you will wear until your ceramic crown is ready. Once your dentist receives your ceramic crown back from the lab, the temporary crown will be removed and your dentist will ensure that your tooth is cavity- free and ready for the placement of your permanent crown. When the ceramic crown is placed, it will look and function just like a natural, healthy tooth.

Fully functioning beautiful teeth are important not only for your health but also for the way that you feel about yourself and your smile. Because they can be matched to blend in well with the natural color of your teeth and because they are so “tissue friendly” ceramic crowns are the best choice when it comes to giving you a beautiful smile.

If you currently have crowns in your teeth that are made from metal or other materials and they detract from your smile, check with your dentist to see if they can be replaced with a natural-looking all-ceramic crown that will look beautiful and last for many years.