What are the different types of crowns?

At Smile for Life Family & Cosmetic Dentistry, we offer multiple types of crown materials, depending on your individual needs.

• Porcelain Crowns - Porcelain is a glass-based ceramic material. There are actually many different types of glass ceramic with variable strength and esthetic properties. Glass ceramic crowns tend to mimic the natural translucency of enamel the closest, and they can be bonded to the tooth with a special resin cement. We most commonly use porcelain for veneers or crowns on front teeth.

• Zirconia Crowns - Zirconia is also a tooth-colored ceramic material, and while it isn't quite as translucent as porcelain, but it can still look quite natural. Zirconia can be up to 10 times as strong as traditional porcelain. Cubic zirconia is a synthetic diamond, and while it's not exactly the same, your new crown will both sparkle and be very strong. We recommend Zirconia for most of our crowns due to the excellent balance of these properties.

• Gold Crowns - They call it the "gold standard" for a reason. It has withstood the test of time for over a century. While it's not the most cosmetic, there are still certain situations that we recommend gold for it's favorable strength and longevity.

• Porcelain Fused to Metal - This was the standard crown material for several decades before ceramics became stronger in recent years. A metal substructure seals against the tooth, then porcelain is layered over the top to make it more cosmetic. This requires drilling more natural tooth away, and these crowns often bulge at the gumline retaining plaque, leading to gum inflammation and recession, and eventually exposing a thin but unsightly dark line of metal at the gumline. The only time we recommend PFM crowns is when a single front tooth needs a crown to match other PFM crowns on adjacent teeth to achieve a similar esthetic outcome.

In addition to these crowns, Smile for Life Family & Cosmetic Dentistry is also happy to provide our patients with single visit crowns by utilizing the amazing technology of the CEREC 3D, which you can read more about here.

At Smile for Life Family & Cosmetic Dentistry, we believe you deserve a beautiful, healthy smile – one that will last for years to come! Get the perfect smile you’ve always dreamed of by getting our porcelain crowns. Trust our experienced dentists to provide the best care for your needs and give you results that will last. Contact us today at (509) 663-1161 or visit our office located at 222 N. Mission St., Wenatchee, WA 98801! We look forward to helping you achieve the perfect smile!