Dental Crowns

Dental crowns vary in their composition depending on their expense, their location in your mouth and other factors. Here are the most common types:

• Stainless Steel crowns are a common alternative to silver and tooth-colored fillings. They’re most often used for badly broken primary teeth or milk teeth. They are durable, easy to clean, corrosion-resistant, inexpensive, and can usually be installed in one visit. Their metallic color makes them noticeable if they’re in an exposed part of your mouth. 
• Composite Resin crowns are a combination of plastic-type materials that are color-matched to your teeth. Resin crowns are primarily used as a temporary measure, protecting the tooth or filling until the permanent crown has been manufactured. They  wear down easily over time and do not withstand biting and chewing forces very well.
• Porcelain or Ceramic crowns provide a natural appearance and color superior to  any other type of crown. But they wear down opposing teeth more than metal and resin crowns do, and they require the removal of more tooth structure because of the thickness of porcelain required to make the crown sufficiently strong. They can also fracture.
• Metal crowns are made with various alloys, and they’re the strongest types of crowns. They require the least tooth structure to be removed compared to other types of crowns. Metal crowns provide a strong bond to the tooth, and they withstand biting and chewing forces very well. They also last longer than any other type of crown. Like stainless steel crowns, they don’t blend in well.
• Zirconia crowns are made from zirconium dioxide, a very durable type of ceramic material. They’re known for their strength and durability, and they’re less likely to produce an adverse reaction such as inflammation. They’re sometimes difficult to match with natural teeth, and the hardness of the zirconia may cause excessive wear and tear on opposing teeth.