Porcelain crowns – true elegance for natural smiles

When is a porcelain crown recommended?

For minor tooth damage, an aesthetic filling or a more durable and attractive dental inlay may be considered, but with greater loss of tooth structure a solution is needed that can effectively restore the structures needed for chewing.

Reasons to choose a porcelain crown

• The load-bearing capacity and function of the tooth can be fully restored.
• It is durable and, depending on oral hygiene, can do its job for up to 2 decades.
• It can also be used on implants.
• It does not discolour and gives a natural, elegant look.
• There are also biocompatible porcelain crowns for patients with gum disease.
• People with metal allergies don’t have to give up an attractive smile either.

3 typical cases when you may need a porcelain tooth restoration

1. When regular dental check-ups are neglected

One of the most common reasons for getting a porcelain crown is still neglecting dental check-ups for a long time. As a result, serious changes can take place in our teeth, and all this may happen quietly while we go about our daily lives unsuspecting.

• Tooth decay that is not caught in time can suddenly reach deep and cause inflammation and a dental focus of infection. Root canal treatment does help, but in the long term it is good to preserve the tooth with a crown.

• Also because of advanced decay, biting on a hard seed can crack the tooth, and a broken tooth may no longer be repairable with an aesthetic filling.

• Bruxism, or grinding at night, can seriously damage the crown of the tooth, causing cracks and fragmentation, and the chewing surface wears smooth. In this case, restoring the bite requires not only a crown, but may also require examination by a gnathologist and a night guard.

2. If the teeth are injured in an accident

Of course, apart from “runaway” decay, there are other compelling reasons that lead patients to have a porcelain crown or zirconia crown made.

• The teeth may be injured in an accident or by a blow, as a result of which they die and turn grey, or such a large piece may break off that only a dental crown can restore a perfect tooth surface and shape.

What options are there without a porcelain crown?

Thanks to the rapid development of dentistry and dental technology, several methods and options are available to patients for improving aesthetics.

To perfect the shape and appearance of their front teeth – taking into account their bite and anatomy – patients can choose a porcelain veneer or one of the types of porcelain crown.

YOU REALLY NEED TO KNOW THIS

While an aesthetic ceramic veneer can only correct minor blemishes with minimal removal of tooth structure, a porcelain crown produces striking aesthetic changes even for people who cannot have porcelain veneers because of their bite.

It is important to be aware that if the tooth problem is not treated properly and the tooth is not strengthened, stabilised and preserved with a dental crown, then the days of that tooth are numbered. For a badly fragmented, patched-up tooth, a filling is only a temporary solution – just a sticking plaster.

Which crown, made of what material – which should you choose?

A dental crown, which covers the entire part of the tooth above the gum, is one of the oldest methods of restoring the appearance and functional defects of damaged teeth.

As crown materials, manufacturing methods and aesthetic craftsmanship have been perfected over many decades, combining them with the most modern technology allows us to achieve a lifelike, natural look.

What is a dental crown?

A crown, or dental crown, is a restoration that can restore a tooth by completely covering its visible part.

The solution is therefore not primarily for replacing missing teeth, but repairs damage and ensures the tooth’s function, although as an integral part of a dental bridge it also plays a key role in replacing lost teeth.

In terms of structure, a porcelain crown consists of a framework and a porcelain layer built on it, which gives it an appearance similar to a natural tooth.

A crown is made in a dental laboratory based on an impression taken of the patient, and has two important parts:

1. The framework, which provides stability, and

2. the porcelain veneering, which creates the aesthetic result.

How many types of crown are there to choose from?

Porcelain is the material that covers the crown’s framework and gives the crown its final appearance. Through special colour combinations, it can provide the translucency and aesthetic effect characteristic of the enamel of our natural teeth.

Crowns are therefore typically distinguished by their framework, so a crown can be metal-based or metal-free.

Metal frameworks are made using cobalt-chrome alloy, gold-platinum or silver-palladium, while metal-free crowns are made of ceramic – pressed ceramic and zirconia.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the different porcelain restorations?

Cobalt-chrome and silver-palladium metal frameworks

Most people know these as porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns. Unfortunately, with these crowns the gum line may turn grey over time (a few years). The metal framework is behind this annoyance, and because of it even a crown perfectly veneered with porcelain looks denser than the metal-free type. These are minor aesthetic drawbacks, but many people are bothered if their teeth don’t shine naturally.

Advantages:

• Strong, durable and able to withstand heavy loads. As a result, they are excellent not only for front teeth, but also for molars.

• Metal-based ceramic crown prices offer the most affordable, budget-friendly solution.

Disadvantages:

• Because of the grey colour showing through the porcelain veneering, they are far less lifelike than the metal-free solution, so dentists recommend a different solution for front teeth.

• Because of the metal alloy, many patients experience a metallic taste in the mouth or allergic reactions.

Gold-platinum is a biocompatible metal framework

Thanks to the special properties of gold alloy, the seal at the edge of the crown is essentially unbreakable.

Advantages:

• Gold has a kind of disinfecting effect, so the tooth is more resistant to decay.

• It has no harmful effects, so allergies and metal sensitivity can be ruled out with a gold-ceramic crown.

• Its more yellowish colour blends much better with the colour of the natural tooth’s dentine, so the restoration made from it is beautiful and precise.

Disadvantages:

• Gold is a softer metal, so for complex dental cases the dentist may recommend a different solution.

• The price of a gold porcelain tooth is much higher than that of the “simpler” metal-based version, as the amount of gold used is multiplied by its price per gram, which is determined by the current gold price.

Pressed ceramic framework

If our patient wants the most perfect lifelike enamel effect from cosmetic treatment, we recommend an all-ceramic crown (pressed ceramic crown), which achieves its final shape through a special pressing technique and has no separate framework.

Advantages:

• Maximum aesthetics can be achieved in the smile zone, as the white colour shows through the veneering, creating a unique, natural effect.

Disadvantages:

• It is not strong enough for the loads on a bridge or a molar, so it can only be used for front teeth, as a single crown.

• A metal-free porcelain crown, which requires greater technological expertise, costs more than a metal-based restoration made with traditional techniques.

The versatile zirconia framework

A zirconia crown is made of zirconium dioxide, which, although classed among the metals, is a snow-white material that is coloured and compressed into blocks.

Advantages:

• It creates an exceptionally beautiful, outstanding aesthetic effect, while being strong enough to be used not only for front teeth, but also for molars.

• A perfect choice both as a crown and as a bridge.

• It can be used safely in the case of a metal allergy.

• Zirconia is a biocompatible material, so it is also an ideal solution for gum disease.

Disadvantages:

• Although in terms of zirconia crown prices it is more expensive than the traditional metal-based solution, considering its value for money it is the “dental investment” that pays off best.

Making a porcelain crown in 5 steps

1. Consultation and treatment plan

• The first and most important step is drawing up a personalised treatment plan: the appropriate dental treatments and choosing the type of crown.

• This requires a panoramic X-ray, which helps specify the types of treatment and schedule the sequence of necessary steps.

• This is when it becomes clear whether periodontal treatment, tooth extraction, implants or root canal treatment are needed, for which a dental 3D CT scan can also be taken at our clinic.

3. Choosing the tooth colour, making a temporary crown

• A temporary crown protects the sensitive tooth stump from external stimuli and provides an aesthetic effect similar to the old teeth.

• Before the impressions go to the laboratory, the tooth colour that will give the new porcelain crown its healthy appearance is also selected.

4. Laboratory work

• The laboratory starts work from the impressions taken by the dentist, first making the crown’s framework and then its veneering.

5. Delivery, fixing the restoration

• Before cementing, the dentist tries the crown in place and checks the precise fit of the framework, its colour and shape.

• Checking the height of the restoration is another important step, as an uncomfortable crown can overload the teeth. Finally, the finished crown is cemented and fixed in place.

What can make getting a crown difficult?

While preparing and grinding a tooth for a porcelain crown, the treated tooth may turn out to need root canal treatment, in which case the treatment schedule changes, albeit only slightly.

The other problem typically comes to light after a porcelain-fused-to-metal crown is cemented, as the metal framework can trigger a metal allergy or sensitivity in practically anyone, which unfortunately means the crown has to be removed and remade in a metal-free version.

Although porcelain crown prices vary between clinics, to avoid having to remake the crown and the extra cost this involves, a dental allergy test is recommended before the procedure.

What is the secret of the natural look of crowns made at Clinident?

• Our specialists, who focus on aesthetics, go beyond solving the dental problem and place great emphasis on making sure the restoration of the teeth is not only functional, but also elegant.

• Thanks to the advanced manufacturing technology used to make porcelain teeth, restorations achieve high fracture resistance, so there is no need to worry about the crown breaking from a harder bite.

• Patients treated at Clinident receive restorations backed by years of experienced teamwork and one of the best and most modern dental laboratories in Budapest.

• A metal-free porcelain crown forms perfect harmony with the neighbouring natural teeth. Without a thorough examination, even another dentist often cannot tell whether a finished crown is natural or artificial.

Why do we recommend our porcelain crowns?

Because at our clinic, the smile you dream of is made up of the following ingredients:

• Outstanding and continuously developed dental and dental technician expertise
• Quality materials
• Modern technology used during treatment: dental CT, microscopic root canal treatment, Guided Biofilm Therapy
• Artistic, creative work
• Highly organised and secure workflows
• A guarantee lasting years
• Personalised aftercare

What guarantee applies to porcelain crowns, and how?

Our clinic provides a 1-year guarantee on porcelain crowns, for which it is important to meet certain conditions, i.e. to follow the dentist’s instructions and recommendations in full.

• After the porcelain crown is cemented, you must attend the FREE ADJUSTMENT appointment to check the bite height.
• You must attend conventional scaling or Guided Biofilm Therapy cleaning at least once every six months.
• You must attend check-ups every six months.
• If the dentist has given you a night guard, it must always be worn.

Porcelain tooth prices – which one costs how much at Clinident?

An essential requirement for a durable porcelain crown that can withstand heavy loads is a professional laboratory, where the porcelain restoration is made. The dental laboratory must not only be well prepared in theory, but must also have up-to-date practical expertise in CAD/CAM design and computer-controlled milling of crowns.

So the price of a finished porcelain tooth depends largely on the professionalism of the dentist, the quality of the materials used and the expertise of the master dental technicians involved in making it. This determines whether, after your teeth are treated, the crown will be your companion for just a few years, or whether you won’t have to worry about it for decades.

YOU REALLY NEED TO KNOW THIS

Using materials that are NOT high quality and cheap work cause constant dental problems, more ordeals, and ultimately higher costs. What’s more, because they look anything but natural, such restorations can be spotted from a distance.

It is important to be aware that although metal-based porcelain teeth are currently the most affordable on the porcelain tooth market, in return we have to give up the level of comfort that a 100% natural look and being metal-free can offer.