Wednesday, March 9, 2016

The Longevity of your Dental Crowns

After receiving, or when first considering, a prosthetic for cosmetic and restorative purposes, dental patients often ask how long their newly improved smiles can be expected to last. Especially with dental crowns, which are intended to look and act like natural teeth, the question of longevity is important.

Dr. Dogra provides patients with a variety of materials to choose from to help their cosmetic dental crowns look beautiful and remain in-tact for as long as possible. When looking for cosmetic dentistry with dental crowns, consider available options and how they stack up:

Porcelain Fused to Metal (or PFM) - This traditional choice for dental crowns is known for strength, so it stands up to biting, chewing, and even teeth grinding over time. However, the aesthetics of this particular combination of materials can leave something to be desired. While there is a layer of porcelain placed over the metal, the silver substructure lends to a less-than-natural overall appearance. Over time, as gum tissue may recede slightly, these crowns will reveal a tell-tale dark edge where the porcelain layer meets the metal body of your restoration. For patients who require the strength of metal based crowns, more attractive, high noble metals can be used to ensure better aesthetics over time.

All-Porcelain  or Ceramic – Crowns made entirely of porcelain or ceramic are much closer in appearance to your real teeth, as no part of restorative option utilizes metal components. All-porcelain or ceramic crowns can be milled from a solid block of material to provide improved strength, but may not be ideal for those patients who are heavy teeth grinders, as these individuals often place an undue amount of pressure on their teeth.

Lava Crowns – Some of the most natural looking and durable dental crowns available are made from a combination of materials, such as lava crowns, which are mix of several tooth-colored components, such as glass, ceramic, and durable zirconia. With a core of strong zirconia and a layer of natural-looking ceramic, Lava crowns are able to match the color and luminosity of real teeth, while also providing improvements in durability and longevity over standard porcelain. Lava dental crowns are an excellent choice for ensuring that your smile looks beautiful and maintains dental function for as long as possible, especially for damaged teeth in your smile zone.

To help protect restored teeth against teeth grinding, patients can wear mouth guards at night, which help to prolong the life of their restoration.

Ask Us about Cosmetic Dentistry with Lava Dental Crowns

If you have additional questions about how long your dental crowns will last, or which materials are best for your needs and expectations, contact our office to speak with Dr. Dogra today.

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