So you've seen a dentist and they've advised your heavily broken down tooth requires a crown or onlay to fix it. What exactly is a crown/onlay? And are there different types?
Crowns and inlays are types of dental restorations compromising of porcelain, metal, or a combination of both which are cemented onto a tooth. They provide extra strength and improve the aesthetics of the teeth they are used to fix by covering all or part of the biting surfaces of the tooth.
Traditional crowns use a metal internal layer (the 'coping') which is then covered in a layer of porcelain. These are still widely used and when done correctly can look very natural. The main drawback with these crowns is that any gum recession can sometimes expose a dark margin, which is the metallic internal layer showing through the side of the tooth.
Full porcelain crowns do not have any metal component. With modern techniques and materials these are very close to the strength of natural tooth enamel, and offer superior aesthetic/cosmetic properties to the traditional metal/porcelain combination crown. As with most modern materials these often cost a little more than the traditional combination crown, and also require a little more tooth preparation as the porcelain requires a thicker cross section to attain its strength.
Full metal/gold are the third type of crown/onlay. These restorations offer superior physical properties to other materials, however cosmetics/aesthetics are a concern for those who prefer natural looking teeth. (note that some cultures find visible gold teeth desirable). Using metal/gold to make crowns/onlays also means that a tooth can be prepared minimally (a good thing as to reduce the amount of tooth structure removed), as metals can be made to be very thin yet still remain strong.
If you've been told you require a crown, onlay, inlay, or veneer, please book a consult with the doctors at the Dental Surgery- St Marys and we can discuss what type would be best for your situation.
Our next blog entry will discuss orthodontics, the difference between traditional braces, and Invisalign.