Everything to Know About All Ceramic Crowns

All-ceramic or all-porcelain dental crowns as the name implies, are a type of cosmetic crown whose entire thickness is made entirely of a glass-like substance, porcelain (100percent ceramic) and no other material.

All-ceramic crowns provide better natural appearance than any other crown.

The defining feature of these ceramic crowns is that they are made from thicker and more translucent porcelain which closely matches the light handling characteristics and thus creates a more lifelike look and blends in well with the rest of your natural teeth.

All ceramic crowns are  top quality crowns which will last for many years and they are a common choice for front teeth.

The lustrous (shiny, glossy, luminous, sparkling, glistening) appearance of a natural tooth is generated by the way light penetrates into its enamel layer and then is reflected back out.

Majority of all ceramic crowns are constructed using computer technology, e.g. CAD/CAM technology which is based upon 3D design to mimic this effect.

TYPES OF ALL CERAMIC CROWNS

Two basic families of all-ceramic systems –

1. Low strength, etchable, glass based ceramics. These have better optical properties( more translucent)

Examples of these include:

• IPS Empress and IPS emax (Ivoclar Vivadent, Lichtenstein)
• Authentic (Jensen, CT, USA)
• Finesse (DENTSPLY Ceramco, PA, USA)
• Traditional feldspathic porcelain

2. High strength, non-etchable, alumina (Al) or zirconia (Zi) based ceramics. These have better mechanical properties.

Examples of these include:

• Procera (NobelBiocare, Sweden)
• Lava (3M ESPE, Minn, USA)
• In-Ceram (Vita, Germany)
• Zircon (DCS, Switzerland)

Zirconia- It is a very hard ceramic and relatively newest category of all ceramic that does factually seem to posses superior strength characteristics which makes use of an internal ceramic “core” which adds significant strength and esthetics.

This is polycrystalline ceramic core (poly – many, crystalline – a crystal-structure which imparts greater strength) is the same material that forms the basic structure of fake diamonds.

ADVANTAGES OF ALL CERAMIC CROWNS

• The biggest advantage of placing an all-ceramic crown instead of other types has to do with appearance as it has superior esthetics.
• These crowns are ideally suited when removal of less tooth structure is desired or when patients prefer something which has a natural appearance where metal compatibility issues exist.
• Whereas in porcelain fused metal (PFM) crowns, the metal underlying the crown’s porcelain possibly start to show through as a dark line along the gums and even more so if the patient’s gums recede which spoils the overall appearance of the tooth.

• While dentists in dental clinics in India do have techniques that can help to address this issue but a big advantage of all ceramic crowns is that this problem simply doesn’t exist with them.
• The type of ceramics used to make all ceramic crowns is typically no more abrasive than dental enamel itself whereas in comparison the type of porcelain used in PFM crowns can be very abrasive to opposing teeth and dental restorations and can cause significant wear of them.
• They are made of a biocompatible material which is healthy for natural gum tissue which enables it to grow back alongside the crown.
• They are made from a thinner material which results in a lighter crown.
• They may be more suitable for people with metal allergies.
• There is no risk of an allergic reaction or sensitivity to hot or cold foods.

DISADVANTAGES OF ALL CERAMIC CROWNS

• There is a downside to it as well. There appears to be a tradeoff between its esthetics and its strength.
• An all ceramic crown can make a good choice even for your back tooth. In cases where durability and longevity are vital, these issues should be thoroughly discussed with your dentist before you choose to have one placed. Also there have been introduction of new generation dental ceramics whose claim is to offer durability characteristics somewhat on par with PFM or metal crowns.
• The refinement is needed to produce these crowns and they require a high degree of expertise on the part of the dentist which increases their cost.

But dentists in dental clinics in Delhi and  dental clinics in India, are specialized in restoring your healthy smile with all ceramic crowns. In fact these days all ceramic crowns i.e. emax crowns and zirconia crowns are preferred by most of the patients, due to their high degree of esthetics. Dentists in Delhi  and dentists in India are hardly doing any metal crowns.

INDICATIONS

• In cases where the esthetics is critically important, all ceramic crowns might make the best choice above all other types. They are known for their ability to mimic the lustrous nature of natural teeth due to the level of characterization and translucency that can be built into them
• In cases where crown strength is important (but in with people who grind or clenche their teeth as patient generates exceptionally heavy chewing forces or teeth that have obvious fracture lines in them or in cases where crown failure might compromise other completed work like root canal treatment), choosing monolithic all ceramic crowns is a good choice.These are all ceramic crowns which are made out of a single material with a strong substructure of zirconia.These are almost unbreakable.
• In posterior regions, for back teeth all ceramic crowns made using zirconia   due to their greater strength characteristics.
• To restore endodontically treated teeth. They reduce the likelihood of the fracturing of the tooth due to the brittle devitalized nature of the tooth(after the removal of the nerve of the tooth) and provide a better seal against invading bacteria. Although the inert filling material within the root canal blocks microbial invasion of the internal tooth structure, it is actually a superior coronal seal, or marginal adaptation of the restoration in or on the crown of the tooth, which prevents reinvasion of the root canal.

In reputed dental clinics in south Delhi, like ‘Smile Delhi-The Dental Clinic’, smile makeovers with all ceramic crowns is a common procedure. Dentists in Delhi are doing all ceramic crowns routinely for patients as awareness has increased and nobody prefers metal crowns.

LONGEVITY

The average life of a crown is around 10 years as no dental restoration lasts forever (nothing lasts forever).

Oral hygiene of the patient is the most important factor affecting the lifespan of any restorative treatment.

In some dental clinics in Delhi, like ‘Smile Delhi-The Dental Clinic’, the all ceramic crowns which were done in year 1, are lasting well till the current year, ie year 17.

The dentists in dental clinics in Delhi and dental clinics in India, have trained themselves to keep abreast with the latest techniques of teeth preparation for all ceramic crowns and also their impressions.

Smile makeovers, with all ceramic crowns and veneers, adds a lot of value to a patient’s life as it increases their self esteem and increases their overall confidence. This contributes positively to their professional and personal lives.

Posted By – Dr. Shriya