Wednesday, May 20, 2009

All Porcelain Crowns

Better adhesives and superior methods of manufacture now make it possible to create all porcelain crowns. Until recently, crowns were made of a combination of porcelain and metal. It was necessary to make them this way in order to allow them to withstand the force of biting and chewing. Crowns were built around a metal core that would unfortunately be visible as a thin blue line at the base of the crown.

In the beginning, most people accepted this. They were happy to have a crown that looked like a natural tooth—even though the obtrusive presence of the metal was visible anytime they smiled. In time, however, society developed higher expectations for beauty and cosmetics, and people became unsatisfied with the blue lines in their crowns. What bothered many people even more was the tendency over time for the gums to turn black at the bases of tooth crowns.

New technology evolved that makes all porcelain crowns a much better choice. They have a naturally translucent quality that makes them almost impossible to distinguish from natural teeth. Without metal, there is no thin blue line, and there is no black line at the base of the gums. Even better, all porcelain crowns are healthier for your gums, because they are actually set above the gum line.

Two types of all porcelain crowns are used by dentist: bonded and extra strength.

Dentists use bonded all porcelain crowns on the front teeth because they are thinner. While they are not as strong as extra strength crowns, they work very well on the front teeth which experience less pressure during chewing than the back teeth. Furthermore, the way the porcelain is bonded to teeth adds strength to its form and substance. If this sounds like something you might want to consider, we recommend that you schedule an appointment with the Cosmetic Dentistry Center. This is because most schools of general dentistry do not normally train their graduates in the special techniques needed to place these crowns.

The back teeth require extra strength porcelain crown that can withstand the full impact of chewing. These are made from new types of advanced ceramics that do not require a bonding agent to adhere them to tooth surfaces. While there is no metal core to these tooth replacements, they are a bit whiter in color than natural teeth. This is another reason cosmetic dentists prefer to use them in the back of the mouth rather than the front, to prevent the slight variation in color from being noticeable when the person smiles.

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