Choosing what type of dental crown is right is a tough choice to make. After all, it’s going to be in your mouth and if it’s not perfect, it will affect the way you look, the way you talk, the way you chew, and will affect your other teeth. So how do you make such a critical decision that could affect so much? What are your choices?
Color
One of the key considerations will be color because not everybody loves the idea of looking like a bad Bond villain with a discolored front tooth. For front teeth, porcelain and ceramics fused with metal will be most commonly used as they are relatively easy to blend the color with your own teeth. This will mean nobody will even know that one of them is a crown. If you want to be bold and have either a metal or gold front tooth, this is possible too, but obviously, this is a big decision to make because it is not subtle and will show every time you smile or speak.
Materials
Crowns come in all different types of materials and not every material is suitable for every placement. Metal alloys and gold crowns are the strongest crowns. They don’t wear down, they don’t chip or break. If you grind your teeth, this would be an excellent choice as they have the best resistance to wear. Metal and alloys stay so smooth, they don’t aggravate the teeth next to them. This would make them the ideal material to place everywhere, but due to the color they do tend to only be used for back teeth where their strength suits them.
Porcelain and porcelain infused with metal base are tough too, but they can chip and break. If used for back teeth, they are a little more likely to become damaged if you grind your teeth. Porcelain can also become a little rough. If this occurs, then the teeth that are next to them can quickly become roughed and sensitive.
Hold
Every crown requires the tooth that it is going to be cemented onto is prepared and filed for a good fix. Some require more of the natural tooth to be taken away than others. A metal alloy requires the least natural tooth to be removed, which is obviously better for the mouth in general. If a crown ever comes out, it is rare that it doesn’t cause some damage to the remaining tooth, so to have more left behind is good.
Price
The final thing to consider is price. Each type of crown has a different cost associated with it so you should talk to your cosmetic dentist about pricing and payment schemes for all dental crowns and pick the best fit for you and your budget.
Choosing the right dental crowns is a big undertaking. Hopefully this article has helped you understand what the factors are in getting the right fit.