Your teeth offer a lot of functionality, including biting, chewing, helping in speech, and enhancing the esthetics of your face. If even one of your teeth goes missing or is damaged, it can impact your overall dental health. If one of your visible front teeth is decayed, stained, chipped, or lost, it can result in low self-confidence. We offer dental crowns at Advanced Dental Associates to restore your smile in San Antonio, TX.
What is a Porcelain Crown?
A porcelain crown is an artificial tooth that is made of high-grade porcelain. This cap is placed on top of a natural tooth or a dental implant to restore its form and function. It also helps to protect the underlying tooth from further damage. A porcelain crown can be fabricated in a dental lab. Alternatively, it can also be created within the dental clinic with the help of CEREC technology and placed in your mouth on the same day.
Applications of Porcelain Crowns
Porcelain crowns can be used to:
- Protect your teeth after a root canal treatment.
- Cover the top of a dental implant to replace a missing tooth.
- Anchor a dental bridge.
- Replace large fillings in teeth.
Dental Crowns in San Antonio, TX
If you want an unnoticeable, strong, and natural-looking tooth, a porcelain crown is an excellent option:
- Porcelain Crowns Look Natural: Porcelain is a pearly white material resembling tooth enamel. Porcelain also has light-reflecting properties that mimic the tooth enamel’s natural shine. Porcelain crowns cover the entire visible portion of the tooth, reaffirming the illusion of a natural tooth.
- Porcelain Crowns Can be Tinted: Porcelain can easily be tinted to match the exact color of your tooth. Because of this, people prefer porcelain crowns to restore their visible front teeth.
- Porcelain Crowns are Non-Allergic: Porcelain is a biocompatible material, which means it does not cause any allergic reaction when in contact with human tissue. Hence, it is very safe to use in dental crowns.
- Porcelain Crowns are Highly Stain-Resistant: Porcelain is a white material that does not allow stains to adhere readily. This means your crown will remain bright and shiny for a long time.
- Porcelain Crowns are Low-Maintenance: Porcelain crowns do not require any special care. However, remember that the underlying tooth (if any) or the gums in your mouth can still accumulate plaque and are vulnerable to gum disease if oral hygiene is lax. That’s why it is essential to exercise good oral care even when you have porcelain crowns.
Limitations of a Porcelain Crown
Porcelain crowns also have a few limitations:
- Porcelain is fragile; if too much pressure is applied to the crown, it can chip or fracture.
- If you use a crown to restore a damaged tooth, we must shave off a significant amount of enamel to accommodate the crown. This makes the process irreversible, and your tooth must be protected.
- Porcelain crowns are more expensive and cost more than porcelain-fused-to-metal and base-metal crowns.
If you want other cosmetic procedures, we offer dental veneers, teeth whitening, and more! Ask about these services during your consultation. If you are concerned about your dental health, schedule an appointment with us at (210) 655-2753 so we can check the health of your teeth and suggest treatment options.