Dental Crowns & Caps

When are dental crowns or caps the right choice?

Dental crowns or “caps” offer a solution for teeth that are too badly damaged to be corrected with tooth-colored fillings or veneers. Crowns can restore both the strength and beauty to natural teeth.

Types of dental crowns

There are generally three types of crowns: - those made of gold, all-ceramic caps and ceramic-veneered gold crowns. Gold and metal-ceramic crowns are extremely durable and are normally used on molars, where the forces from chewing and grinding are most prevalent. Ceramic crowns are used primarily for front teeth, since they can best resemble the natural tooth color and are more pleasing to the eye.

Types of porcelain used with dental crowns

There are basically two types of porcelain used in dental caps and crowns: feldspathic and pressed ceramic porcelains. The feldspathic type is the original method that has been around for 20 years.

Pressed ceramic is created from a single ingot. The ingot is melted and pressed in one piece to create the desired shape of the cap or crown. The stains and opaques are applied only to the surface of the porcelain to give a natural look for your new smile.