Porcelain Crown

A porcelain crown is a cap-like structure that is permanently bonded to a particular tooth to provide superior aesthetics and function. Sometimes crowns are referred to as caps. Porcelain crowns are a very effective way of providing patients with their desired cosmetic result, while at the same time strengthening the tooth structure. A crown fits over the remaining part of a prepared tooth, making it strong and giving it the shape of a natural tooth. Crowns can be made  on almost any teeth and, if properly maintained, can last for good 7-8  years.

Crowns can be used, both aesthetically and functionally, in restorations with:

• heavily repaired or broken teeth
• badly discoloured large fillings
• protecting the physical integrity of a tooth after a root canal procedure.
  
  

Porcelain Bridges

All-ceramic bridges replace a missing tooth by way of a porcelain replacement tooth attached to one or two adjacent crowns. The main contraindication for bridges is the removal of healthy tooth tissue of adjacent teeth. For this reason, in our practice  we recommend dental implants as the ideal alternative to tooth replacement where appropriate. However, bridges remain a viable alternative for patients who are not candidates for dental implants or when replacing existing bridges


Types of Crown & Bridges

Porcelain, or all-ceramic or metal free crowns

Are most commonly used for front teeth, where aesthetics are a priority.

Precious/Non-precious metal crowns fused with porcelain

are sometimes used for molar teeth requiring extra strength due to heavy functional loading.
In the past, crowns and bridges were traditionally made of porcelain fused to metal (PFM). Now thanks to the development of modern all-ceramics.

With recent advances in the way Crowns are fabricated we are choosing to use E.max Porcelain Crowns and Zirconia-Porcelain Crowns because of their superior cosmetic appearance than traditional Porcelain-Fused-To-Metal (PFM) Crowns.

With PFM, soft tissue around the tooth can recede, over time, revealing the metal underneath as ugly grey lines. This simply can’t happen with the modern all-ceramic crowns because they are metal-free. 

Emax®  and Zirconia-Porcelain  ,all-ceramic solutions ,are completely tissue-friendly. They  integrate  beautifully with its surroundings, encouraging gum to grow back up to the tooth, as it would naturally. And because they are bio-compatible, there are no allergic reactions, no sensitivity to temperature and no impact.

The milling of the inside of an E.max or Zirconia Crown is performed by a CAD-CAM Computer system. This provides high strength to the inside of the crown whilst maintaining extremely high aesthetic properties and an optimal fit, even better than traditional Porcelain-Fused-To-Metal Crowns. Zirconia is a white material, where as metal is a grey material, thus zirconia is an ideal tooth colour substitute. This distinct cosmetic benefit also arises because light can transmit through the coping in a way that perfectly mimics a natural tooth.

A layered Porcelain is layered over the computer milled coping, in a way that personalizes the colour and texture to match adjacent teeth.

E.max, Zirconia and Porcelain technology provides a unique combination of both strength and beauty that is not widely utilized in the Dental Profession as yet.

For  Porcelain bridges  combinations of Porcelain with metal or Zirconia Framework technology  is preferred  as there are few situations where pure porcelain technology displays sufficient strength for a long-term prognosis. New technology using milled zirconia is also now possible to both structurally and cosmetically create a bridge

Procedure

The procedure takes three visits.

During the first visit, the process involves preparing the tooth/teeth to the desired shape. Impressions of the teeth are then taken, from which the laboratory can fabricate the crown.

During the second visit the unfinished crown/bridge is tried in the mouth and patient’s approval is obtained.

During the third visit, the fabricated crown is fitted over the tooth surface and bonded/cemented in place using special dental bonding materials or cements. The shape, size, colour and surface characteristics of a crown are precisely matched to the surrounding teeth. Once fitted, a porcelain crown affords a seamless and permanent restoration of a tooth.