When a tooth is too much damaged a crown is the way to protect it offering aesthetics and function. For a long time metal-ceramic crowns (PFM Porcelain Fused on Metal) were our first choice. Nowadays where appearance is the utmost concern, we prefer all-ceramic crowns where there is no metal frame.
In the past years, a number of companies have developed new processes and materials for fabricating all-ceramic crowns which offer the same strength as the PFM thus making them suitable also for the back teeth which experience bigger chewing forces.
In our clinic, we use:
> Emax Crowns. More suitable for the front teeth
> Monolithic Zirconia for the back teeth
> Layered Zirconia crowns for the front teeth
which all embrace the concept of
computer-assisted design and computer-assisted machining. (
CAD/CAM)
All-ceramic crowns can also be used for short-span bridges.