Douglas, AZ Porcelain Crowns

A dental crown is a restoration that covers and protects the visible portion of your tooth. A porcelain dental crown is one that enhances the aesthetics of your tooth while simultaneously strengthening it.

Specialist prosthodontist Dr. Gilberto Tostado creates two types of porcelain crowns in our on-site dental laboratory: ones with metal reinforcements and others that are metal-free.

Whether you need just one crown to restore a tooth, or multiple crowns to balance your bite as part of a full-mouth reconstruction, choosing porcelain will give you an aesthetically pleasing result.

Types of Porcelain Crowns

e.max

Pure porcelain is quite fragile, so Dr. Tostado places a type of crown called e.max. This crown is made from a high-strength pressed ceramic called lithium disilicate. The material is then veneered with porcelain, which can be meticulously colored to perfectly mimic the appearance of your natural teeth. An e.max crown contains no metal and provides excellent aesthetics.

Zirconia

Zirconia is another metal-free dental crown option that Dr. Tostado offers. This material is the strongest type; it’s even known as “ceramic steel.” Zirconia crowns are ideal for protecting teeth that are prone to heavy chewing forces and high levels of wear.

Porcelain-fused-to-metal

These crowns have an inner metal layer (Dr. Tostado uses an alloy of gold and platinum) overlaid with porcelain. They are very durable because of the metal component, but the porcelain covering allows them to blend in with the surrounding teeth. While they are strong, there are some aesthetic drawbacks. The metal foundation prevents creating a translucent restoration. And over time, if your gums recede any, they tend to display a dark line at the gumline. So Dr. Tostado prefers to use porcelain-fused-to-metal only for back teeth.

Placing Your Crown

Dr. Tostado will follow these steps to provide you with a new crown:

• Examine your tooth to determine which restoration it needs
• Trim away the damaged or decayed sections of your tooth and taper the tooth to receive the crown
• Take an impression of your prepared tooth
• Place a temporary crown that will protect your tooth
• Design and create your crown in our on-site dental laboratory
• Check the fit of your new crown
• Bond your permanent crown to your tooth

Which type of dental crown is right for you? Dr. Tostado can help you find out. As a prosthodontist, Dr. Tostado has specialty training and three decades of experience in creating balanced bites with dental crowns.

Schedule a consultation by calling our office or request an appointment online.