Mesa Porcelain Crowns

When you need a crown, you need the right one for your unique situation. Porcelain crowns are beautiful restorations for front teeth, while zirconia, gold, and porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) crowns are strong and durable restorations for back teeth. At Mountain View Family Dental, we offer all of these options and partner with you to determine the most suitable treatment.

Porcelain Crowns for Front Teeth

When aesthetics are important, as is the case with all teeth in the “smile zone,” we use a brand of crown called e.max. Its is made of lithium disilicate, a strong ceramic, layered in porcelain. The porcelain overlay beautifully mimics the properties of your natural tooth, allowing the crown to reflect light, vary in color, and possess an element of translucency.

Crowns for Back Teeth

Front teeth (anterior) restorations require flawless aesthetics because they’re visible when you smile. Back teeth (posterior) restorations, located outside of the “smile zone,” are far less conspicuous. For this reason, the aesthetics of posterior restorations are not as crucial. For posterior crowns, while aesthetics matter some, strength and durability are what matter most. That’s why we generally recommend zirconia for back teeth. In some cases, porcelain-fused-to-metal or gold crowns could be appropriate.

Zirconia

A zirconia crown is milled from a solid block of zirconia, an exceptionally strong ceramic often called “ceramic steel.” Its strength, coupled with its natural tooth-colored appearance, makes a zirconia crown ideal for a back tooth. For a front tooth, though, we’ll opt for a ceramic crown overlaid in porcelain to create aesthetic detail.

Porcelain-Fused-to-Metal (PFM)

A porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) crown is made of a metal core with a porcelain overlay that gives the crown a tooth-colored appearance. Like a zirconia crown, a PFM crown blends in well in the back but isn’t recommended for a front tooth. One reason is that the opaque nature of the metal core inhibits the crown from mimicking the translucency of a natural tooth.

Gold

A gold crown is incredibly durable. Gold crowns outlast all other types of crowns. They can also be made to fit with exceptional precision, as gold is very pliable. If you don’t mind the occasional glimpse of metal, a gold crown could be a good option to restore a back molar.

Do I Need a Crown?

A crown is used to restore a badly broken-down tooth or to strengthen a weak tooth. If you have a badly decayed or broken tooth, a crown will protect your natural tooth structure while restoring the function and aesthetics of the tooth. It does this by covering the entire surface area of the prepared tooth. If you have a missing tooth, an implant can be placed with a crown attached to the implant.

The Right Crown For You

If you think that you may need a crown, we can help. To get started, give us a call to schedule a dental exam. Or feel free to request an appointment online, and we’ll contact you to set one up. Once we assess your unique situation, we’ll be able to recommend the best solution for you.