Before dental bonding was created, most dental crowns were created with a foundation of metal. In the modern cosmetic dentistry of this decade, crowns can be made from porcelain or other types of ceramics. Metal can still be used on the back sections of teeth for strength, but it is common for people to require a crown in their visible smile and need a porcelain crown for an esthetically pleasing oral appearance.

Why You Need Porcelain Crowns

Crowns are needed when teeth are badly damaged or decayed, a large filling covers a tooth, or when a filling is not strong enough for support. When the front teeth need restoration, a porcelain crown is used to resemble your natural teeth. When a porcelain crown procedure is completed by our East Los Angeles dentist, it will be difficult for someone to distinguish it from natural teeth.

In past decades before porcelain was used, the crown needed to be fused with metal to provide the needed support to resist breakage or damage. Dental bonding developed in the 1980s created a new way to install a crown on existing teeth. This strong bond allows normal chewing of food under the most extreme circumstances.

Types of Porcelain Crowns

Ceric crown - is a ceramic crown that is not manufactured in a special laboratory. It is created from a special computer inside our dental office. These crowns are precision made and take skill to produce correctly.

Empress crowns - are a pressed ceramic material. The different types of ceramic materials are Procera, Ziconia, In-Ceram, and Feldspathic porcelain. Our East Los Angeles cosmetic dentist is very familiar with the different types of materials used and always uses the best crown for each individual situation. All crowns have advantages and disadvantages.

Porcelain fused to metal crowns - have a natural appearance and are stronger than porcelain, but have some limitations. An opaque must be used to hide the metal framework, making total translucency of the teeth impossible. These crowns will eventually show a dark line around the edge of the crown as the gum recedes.