The Benefits of All-Porcelain Crowns

When you experience significant dental decay or simply have a tooth that doesn't look as good as you'd like, a dental crown provides a cosmetic and functional treatment solution. A dental crown is placed over a damaged tooth and is custom-made for your smile. While many think of a crown as being made of metal, our Campbell, CA dentist's office provides all-porcelain crowns for improved cosmetic effect and durability.

Life-Like Cosmetic Restorations
 
Porcelain crowns are made of a luminous material that is designed to look as close to a real tooth as possible. Their advanced aesthetic quality means they are especially good choices for front teeth that require restoration.
 
Crowns can be used to protect and repair a decayed tooth, restore a severely worn-down tooth, covering for a dental implant to replacing a missing tooth, or cosmetically improve a misshapen or severely discolored tooth. When your all-porcelain restoration is complete, it will naturally complement the appearance of the rest of your smile. 
   
Porcelain Crowns vs. Metal-Based Crowns
 
Before porcelain crowns were widely available or made to be as durable as they are today, metal crowns with a tooth-colored covering were the standard treatment choice. While these porcelain-over-metal crowns are durable, they do not offer the cosmetic benefits that porcelain crowns do. The translucency and color-matching possible with all-porcelain crowns make them ideal for matching the qualities of other teeth in your smile.
 
While cosmetic appearance in dental restorations is certainly important, there are many other reasons to choose a porcelain crown. Metal crowns are not sensitive to hot and cold - they can expand and contract with changing temperatures, which can cause discomfort or negatively impact underlying dental enamel.
 
Metal crowns can also cause soft tissue irritation in those allergic to metals commonly used in dental restorations -- these include nickel, chromium and palladium. Porcelain is not associated with causing allergic reactions and is gentle on gum tissue.
 
Learn More about Porcelain Crowns
 
Porcelain crowns can make damaged teeth look as natural as your own. With advancements in materials and fabrication processes, porcelain crowns are as long-lasting and resistant to wear as metal-based restorations.
 
To learn more about options for restoring teeth with all-porcelain crowns, please contact Hughes Dental Group for your consultation.

When Do I Need a Dental Crown?

If a dental crown has been recommended as a part of your treatment plan, it’s likely that you have a tooth that has been severely decayed. Dental crowns are used for replacing the entire top part of your tooth – what’s visible above the gum line – to stop the spread of decay, and help you regain a strong bite.  But crowns can be used for a variety of reasons, or can be substituted for other dental restorations in some circumstances.

Crowns Used in Cosmetic Restorations

Dental crowns can be used for more cosmetic purposes as well. Crowns are traditionally made with a metal base coated in a porcelain, tooth-colored finish, but can also be made of pure porcelain or ceramic to more closely mimic the appearance of a natural tooth. If you have teeth that are too-small, or if your natural teeth are gapped and crowded, a cosmetic dentist can place a crown on a tooth to alter its shape and alignment. This method requires buffing-down existing dental enamel, so it’s typically only indicated for a tooth that needs restoration in the event of extensive cosmetic damage, like a large chip or crack.

Alternatives to Dental Crowns

The process for getting a dental crown does involve some preparation. In order to correct instances of decay and damage, the affected tooth is buffed and polished to accept the restoration. When dental enamel is healthy enough, however, more conservative restorations are used to preserve natural tooth structure.

Onlays and inlays can treat moderate decay by filling-in only the damaged parts of teeth, as opposed to the entire top part of a tooth. Onlays and inlays offer enhanced cosmetic benefit as well, if they are created from tooth-colored materials like porcelain.

In the event that a flaw on one of your teeth is small (like a very fine crack or a minor chip), composite dental bonding can sometimes be a viable alternative to a dental crown. Composite resin is built-up directly on teeth to hide any damage or replace broken enamel.

Do I Need a Crown? An Onlay? Or Dental Bonding?

Only your dentist will be able to tell you which restorative treatment will provide the best results for your long-term oral health and wellness. At Hughes Dental Group, we’re proud to offer cosmetic restorations that include porcelain crowns, bonding, and onlays and inlays. Contact our office for more information or if you need help deciding if a dental crown is right for you.

The Benefits of Porcelain Cosmetic Dentistry

When searching for cosmetic dental treatments, the outcome must offer resilience, be long-lasting, and natural-looking. The restoration should also function just like a tooth, and provide stability. It's a tall order, but thanks to advancements in cosmetic dentistry, patients have more materials and treatments to choose from – among them, the option to select porcelain restorations as your treatment of choice.

The Benefits of Porcelain Cosmetic Dentistry 

Porcelain is made by heating raw minerals at high temperatures, which produces a strong and highly durable material.

In dentistry, porcelain can be sculpted and custom-designed to closely mimic the look of real dental enamel and functions similarly to a natural tooth. Porcelain is versatile, and can be used in inlays, onlays, crown, veneers, and more. Our cosmetic dentistry patients choose porcelain restorations for any of the following reasons:

• Natural Appearance – Porcelain is opaque and tooth-like in color. It also possesses similar luminosity (or light-reflecting properties) that mimics that of the tooth's enamel. Porcelain can be shaped and colored to resemble the natural tooth to such an extent that it is indistinguishable from neighboring teeth.
• Strength – As a manufactured material, porcelain offers reliable strength and can withstand force, including that of full biting and chewing power 
• Gum Health – Porcelain doesn't aggravate gum tissue, that way that metal amalgam can.
• Versatility – Porcelain can be used for crowns, veneers, onlays, inlays, bridges, and other cosmetic treatments. It offers a conservative approach to changing a tooth's color and shape without compromise. Porcelain is highly stain resistant and provides a long-term solution to dental problems.

If you're looking for a way to get natural-looking cosmetic dentistry, our porcelain dental treatments offer the perfect solution. Contact our office to learn more about cosmetic dentistry and your options for care.