For over thirty years, Gary Relias, DMD has restored patients’ smiles, using prostheses such as dental crowns. As the field of dentistry evolves, restoration techniques and technologies change as well, allowing more variety in the materials used to fabricate dental crowns. Whether metal composite, porcelain, or zirconia, each crown material possesses unique cosmetic and restorative benefits for your smile. All crowns can effectively restore dental function, but the material used to create them will serve differing needs, focusing more on aesthetic appeal, resiliency, or providing a compromise between both factors. Knowing how these materials affect the beauty and health of your smile can help you discuss with Dr. Relias which crown is right for you.
Porcelain vs. Zirconia Crowns
While both porcelain and zirconia, when used as a material for dental crowns, resemble the appearance of natural, healthy teeth, they have differing approaches to achieving this goal.
Especially when used as the sole material for a crown, dental porcelain looks the most like a natural tooth. However, purely porcelain crowns are not as sturdy as other options; they are often used for front teeth to avoid overburdening. By contrast, zirconia is a similar color to your genuine smile while also providing significantly more strength than porcelain. Additionally, zirconia crowns are more beneficial for a smile which needs aesthetic restoration of the back teeth.
In some instances, we can also provide porcelain fused to metal, or PFM, crowns. These crowns serve as a compromise between the aesthetics of pure porcelain and the proven longevity of a metal crown. PFM crowns are more discreet than metal crowns with a lifespan that far exceeds that of porcelain.
Metal Crowns
For patients who require more traditional restorations, designed for utility more than aesthetic appeal, our Arlington Heights, IL, comfort dentist offers crowns made of metal, namely gold. A crown with great resilience is necessary to help patients with certain existing oral conditions which can wear down teeth, such as teeth grinding and jaw clenching. While they may not visually blend in with your smile, the durability of metal crowns is often preferred to effectively last against these conditions.
Contact Our Practice
Arlington Comfort Dental provides dental crowns and other restorative dental procedures to the people of Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Palatine, and the surrounding communities. For more information on how Dr. Gary Relias can help you restore your smile, call our dental practice today!