Durable and Natural-Looking Dental Crowns

A dental crown Baltimore Maryland is a tooth-shaped cap that is used to cover a damaged tooth, thereby restoring its natural shape, size, strength, and appearance. Also known as a 'cap,' a crown is a non-removable prosthetic dental appliance utilized to safeguard a tooth that has undergone root canal treatment or is weakened, to reinforce a tooth that has been fractured, or to enhance the appearance of a severely discolored or improperly shaped tooth.

Types of Dental Crowns

Metal Crowns

Dental technicians use various metals to produce dental crown Baltimore Maryland, such as gold, palladium, nickel, and chromium. Metal crowns are less likely to chip or break, provide the longest wear among dental restorations and need only a small amount of enamel to be removed. They are also capable of withstanding biting and chewing forces. The metallic look is the main disadvantage of this kind of crown. Metal crowns are often recommended for molars that are not visible in the mouth.

Porcelain Fused to Metal (PFM) Dental Crowns.

Porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns combine the durability of metal with the natural appearance of porcelain. Dentists can match the crowns to the exact shade of your own teeth.

Despite their robustness, PFM crowns have several disadvantages. The porcelain coating may deteriorate with age, potentially revealing the underlying metal. Moreover, PFM crowns can cause the enamel on your opposing teeth to wear down over time, which are the teeth that come into contact with your crown when you close your mouth.

Pressed Ceramic Dental Crowns

A ceramic dental crown Baltimore Maryland that has been pressed has a hard central core. It's comparable to a PFM, with a ceramic core rather than metal. A technician creates the inner core by melting and pressing ceramic at a very high temperature in an oven, followed by the addition of multiple layers of porcelain. Similar to all-porcelain crowns, pressed ceramic crowns replicate the translucency found in natural tooth enamel.

All-ceramic Dental Crowns

One of the most widely used materials for creating ceramic crowns is zirconium dioxide, with many alternative options being employed by lab technicians. Zirconia crowns possess exceptional durability and can resist significantly stronger forces than other ceramic crown types. They are also gentle on your opposing teeth, resulting in less wear on the enamel.

Dental Crowns Provided on Same Day

Numerous dentists employ CAD/CAM (computer-aided design and manufacturing) technology to fabricate crowns in-house, often completing them during the patient's appointment. This software enables dentists to capture digital impressions of patients' teeth, which can then be used to create bespoke crowns.

All-resin Crowns

Resin dental crown Baltimore Maryland are typically less costly than other types of crowns. Compared to porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns, they are more likely to break and are fragile. Dentists frequently utilize resin to fabricate provisional crowns. On average, they last for three to five years.