A Porcelain Fused to Metal Crown, or PFM
When you need a tooth restoration, your Houston Cosmetic Dentist may recommend a porcelain-fused-to-metal crown (also known as a PFM crown). A porcelain-fused-to-metal crown is made of a metal core surrounded by a layer of baked porcelain that has literally fused to the metal.
There are several reasons why we may recommend a PFM crown for you. You may have a tooth where a large filling has failed. This will need repair, and a crown is often an excellent way to salvage the tooth and protect it against future decay. The tooth may also have become damaged because of Bruxism, and crowning it is a means of restoring damaged and worn surface areas.
Teeth also get severely damaged from severe cracks and fractures. Sometimes these breaks are so severe that some dentists would tell you to go ahead and have the tooth extracted. We prefer to avoid tooth extractions as much as possible. Instead, a porcelain-fused-to-metal crown can be placed over even a severely broken tooth and be made to function as if it were new.
Placing a PFM Crown
Creating a porcelain-fused-to-metal crown for you will take more than one trip to the dentist and will involve a number of steps. This is because the PFM crown will have to be custom made for you in a special dental laboratory that specializes in the manufacture of cosmetic dental materials. In most cases, if all goes according to plan, you can expect to have your new crown in two visits.
The first appointment is primarily preparatory. We first numb the area around the tooth we need to crown and place a rubber dam in the back of your mouth to protect your throat from dental debris. We use a dental handpiece to scrape decay away from your tooth. We also shape it so it will hold the crown when ready.
After this, we make an impression of your teeth. From this impression, we then make a model of your teeth that is, for all intents and purposes, an exact replica of your mouth. We send this model to our dental laboratory. Before sending you home, we place a temporary crown over your tooth to protect it during the interim period between office visits.
When the lab receives the model, it uses the replicas of your teeth to make you a PFM crown that is precision-suited to match the tooth being restored. When the restoration arrives back at our office, we call you in for your next appointment.
The benefits of a porcelain-fused-to-metal crown
You can expect to gain many good benefits from a PFM crown. For one thing, it will cover and protect your tooth. This is the most important benefit offered by any type of dental crown, be it gold, porcelain, or PFM. Additionally, other benefits to be expected are as follows:
• Sustained durability
• An inner metal core that buffers the crown for heavy biting surfaces and pressures
• An outer porcelain layer that looks like natural tooth enamel
There are several reasons why we may recommend a PFM crown for you. You may have a tooth where a large filling has failed. This will need repair, and a crown is often an excellent way to salvage the tooth and protect it against future decay. The tooth may also have become damaged because of Bruxism, and crowning it is a means of restoring damaged and worn surface areas.
Teeth also get severely damaged from severe cracks and fractures. Sometimes these breaks are so severe that some dentists would tell you to go ahead and have the tooth extracted. We prefer to avoid tooth extractions as much as possible. Instead, a porcelain-fused-to-metal crown can be placed over even a severely broken tooth and be made to function as if it were new.
Placing a PFM Crown
Creating a porcelain-fused-to-metal crown for you will take more than one trip to the dentist and will involve a number of steps. This is because the PFM crown will have to be custom made for you in a special dental laboratory that specializes in the manufacture of cosmetic dental materials. In most cases, if all goes according to plan, you can expect to have your new crown in two visits.
The first appointment is primarily preparatory. We first numb the area around the tooth we need to crown and place a rubber dam in the back of your mouth to protect your throat from dental debris. We use a dental handpiece to scrape decay away from your tooth. We also shape it so it will hold the crown when ready.
After this, we make an impression of your teeth. From this impression, we then make a model of your teeth that is, for all intents and purposes, an exact replica of your mouth. We send this model to our dental laboratory. Before sending you home, we place a temporary crown over your tooth to protect it during the interim period between office visits.
When the lab receives the model, it uses the replicas of your teeth to make you a PFM crown that is precision-suited to match the tooth being restored. When the restoration arrives back at our office, we call you in for your next appointment.
The benefits of a porcelain-fused-to-metal crown
You can expect to gain many good benefits from a PFM crown. For one thing, it will cover and protect your tooth. This is the most important benefit offered by any type of dental crown, be it gold, porcelain, or PFM. Additionally, other benefits to be expected are as follows:
• Sustained durability
• An inner metal core that buffers the crown for heavy biting surfaces and pressures
• An outer porcelain layer that looks like natural tooth enamel
posted by Dental Expert at
11:03 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home