Types of Crowns

There are a variety of different types of crowns available. They can be made from metal (in some cases gold), ceramic, or porcelain fused to metal. The type of crown you have will depend on what you want and what your dentist advises.

Metal Crowns

Metal crowns can be made of a combination of materials including gold alloy, palladium, nickel alloy, or chromium alloy. Although some people have a gold cap as a fashion statement, most people don’t like the look of metal crowns. However they can be a good option for repairing decayed or damaged back teeth as they are incredibly durable and long lasting and require less of your natural tooth to be removed.

Ceramic Crowns

Ceramic crowns are the most natural looking type of crown. They can be made of tooth-coloured porcelain, resins, or dental ceramic materials and are most commonly used on visible front teeth. Although they are aesthetically better than metal crowns, they are not as resilient and are not ideal on the back teeth where they are under pressure from chewing.

Porcelain Crowns Fused to Metal

Although porcelain crowns fused to metal are stronger than ceramic crowns they do not look as natural because the metal makes them less translucent and the metal can sometimes be seen along the gum line. They do however look better than all metal crowns.