A dental crown can be described as a tooth shaped ‘cap’ that is placed over the remaining part of your natural tooth. It helps to prevent teeth from gum diseases, maintain good oral health and protect other teeth. Crowns, or caps, are used to restore broken or cracked teeth. The new metal-free crowns eliminate the ugly black line you may have seen next to the gum line on older crowns.

For decades the standard in dentistry for crown and bridge restoration materials has been the PFM (porcelain-fused-to-metal). The framework for the dental crown was produced in metal and then covered with a porcelain layer.

Now with the evolution of all ceramic materials and their higher esthetic qualities, dental patients have options. Metal free framework beneath the porcelain gives excellent aesthetic qualities to make the final restoration extremely natural looking.

When a tooth is mostly made of filling, or is heavily broken down, the best option for restoring it is by placing a crown. A dental crown can protect your tooth from various oral health problems and diseases such as gingivitis, decay and gum infections. The main benefits of dental crowns are listed below.

• A crown can restore a worn down, decayed and heavily broken tooth.

• It can protect a weak or cracked tooth from breaking.

• A dental crown can support and cover a tooth with a large filling.

• A crown can cover a severely discoloured and misshapen tooth.

Types of ceramic crowns The choice of material in making of dental crowns depends on the case itself.It is defined by the starting point (current condition) and the final result of the case.

Full ceramics, zircon-oxide ceramic and metal ceramic crowns are the most common answer in restoration of a lost dental tissue.

Ceramic in these types of dental crowns fulfils important criteria:

• aesthetic

• biocompatibility

• articulation

• stability

• endurance

• abrasion

So called abrasive ceramic is ceramic where the degree of abrasion is higher than initial ceramics, thus having achieved excellent compatibility with dental enamel. Also, the factor of mastication is satisfied, because the degree of teeth consumption is similar to the natural teeth.

Full ceramic crowns

Mostly used in cases, which require high aesthetic degree, especially with frontal teeth.Characterised by light transmission, thus ideally imitating natural structures of teeth.Unlike zircon-oxide and metal ceramic crowns, firmness of full ceramic crowns is not high, which makes it perfect choice for frontal and not lateral teeth.

Zircon-oxide ceramic crowns

Best choice when high aesthetic is required. They replace full ceramic crowns when the tooth’s natural colour is darker, because their light transmission is low.They can be used in smaller prosthetic bridges. Zircon-oxide is not suitable material for larger bridges for insufficient elasticity (possibility of ceramic crack).