What types of crowns are there and which should I get? The time has come to get a crown. Whether the reason is a tooth broke, a cavity or you have had to replace a filling and there is not enough tooth left for a new filling.
There are a number of different options: Gold, Zirconia, Porcelain fused to metal(PFM). Each has good points and bad points.
Gold Crown- Gold Crown
Pros
Indestructible - It is a solid hunk of metal there is nothing to break.
Inert- Doesn't leach anything ,unaffected by anything you eat or drink.
Doesn't wear teeth- When chewing or grinding gold just becomes smoother it will not wear down the tooth it hits against.
No Allergies- Gold does not not cause allergic reactions.
Cons
Expense- Tends to be the most expensive
Aesthetics- It is yellow and shiny and will always be yellow and shiny. It will be that way forever and there is no way to hide it. In the United States it is usually done on the back teeth.
Zirconia-
Outside of Zirconia Crown Inside of Zirconia Crown
Pros
Super tough- Zirconia is a ceramic that is incredibly tough. It is used in places where there are a lot of stress such as Jet engines and of course the mouth.
White- It is naturally white so there doesn't need to have anything added to it to make it white.
Computer generated- It is manufactured by computer so it has a very exact fit.
Cons
Breaks- Even though it is super tough it is a ceramic and there is a chance it can break or crack.
Wears teeth- It can wear down natural teeth it grinds against in certain cases.
Porcelain Fused to Metal(PFM)-
Inside PFM Outside PFM
Pros
Least Expensive- This can be made from a variety of metals. It has porcelain over the metal to look like a tooth.
Aesthetics- Looks Like a tooth
Cons
Aggressive- You have to take the most tooth of all the crowns because you have to make room for the metal and Porcelain.
Allergic reactions- Depending on which metals are used to make it such as: Nickel (One of the allergenic metals there is), Copper, and tin.
Standards- Is it made in the United States or in China? Depending where it was fabricated means what impurities are put into it.
Aesthetics- When the gum recedes the metal will show through at the gumline, it shows up as a black line.
Longevity- It is the shortest lasting crown. The Porcelain shears off or a black line appears.
Wears teeth- It can wear down natural teeth it grinds against in certain cases.