A badly damaged or decayed tooth doesn’t always have to be extracted. Porcelain crowns, or ceramic crowns, restore and protect teeth. At Kentucky Dental Group, we provide ceramic restorations to enhance your smile and preserve your oral health.
What Is a Porcelain Crown?
Porcelain is a type of ceramic. A porcelain crown is often referred to as a “cap.” After a damaged or badly decayed tooth is treated, a dental crown is placed over it to protect it. A crown covers the entire tooth and meets your gumline.
Ceramic-glass dental restorations can be made to mimic the look of your natural teeth. We offer ceramic crowns that produce beautiful results.
Types of Crowns
e.max
e.max crowns are all ceramic. They are made of lithium disilicate, a highly durable ceramic, veneered with porcelain. e.max crowns mimic tooth color, translucence, and gloss and provide amazingly lifelike restorations.
Zirconia
Zirconium oxide is also known as ceramic steel. It’s a durable solution for posterior crowns and bridges. You can receive restorations that closely match your natural teeth.
What Are the Advantages?
- They are durable and strong.
- There is no metal foundation, so you won’t have a black rim around your crown at the gumline.
- They are biocompatible for people with metal allergies or sensitivities, or autoimmune disorders.
- The material can be manipulated to mimic the color, gloss, and translucence of your natural teeth.
The photo below is an example of how beautifully a porcelain, or ceramic crown can replicate a natural tooth. You can’t tell which tooth has the crown.
The porcelain crown is on the left lateral incisor—the tooth immediately to our right of the two larger front teeth.
What’s the Process?
A tooth can be restored with a dental crown in just two appointments.
First appointment
- We’ll remove damage or decay from your natural tooth.
- Your tooth will be tapered to prepare it for a crown.
- We will take an impression of your tooth and provide you with a temporary crown.
- We’ll send the impression to our ceramist who uses high-quality materials to make a precisely fitting crown that matches your natural teeth.
Second appointment
- We’ll remove the temporary crown and place the new one over your tooth.
- After you approve the look and feel of the crown, it will be bonded to your tooth.
- Your crown will be sculpted for proper bite and polished to match the gloss of your natural teeth.
Interested in Porcelain Crowns?
If you’re interested in natural-looking restorations for your teeth, schedule an appointment with one of our dentists. We’ll let you know your options and what you can expect from each of them.