Porcelain Crowns vs Ceramic Dental Crowns

Difference between ceramic and porcelain dental crowns is not necessarily hard to figure out. Still, we need to talk about some background information first.

For people that have damaged, seriously discoloured or rotten teeth, dental crowns (otherwise known as dental caps) are the #1 choice for restoring smiles. A dental crown is, in essence, a cap that's "molded" to look like a real tooth. Those caps are positioned over remaining teeth that end up holding the caps in place.

Moving on, let's highlight the real difference between ceramic and porcelain caps at once: one of these is more suitable for people with metal allergies, while both offer superior durability and are oftentimes used interchangeably, it really boils down to personal preferences.

We won't really get into specifics or supply you with information which you can find literally anywhere else on the internet. What we want to do instead is address a couple of questions that our readers oftentimes bring up. Now, let's talk about the disadvantages of dental crowns.

Porcelain Crowns Problems

Among the most widespread dental crown side-effects, there are:

• Discomfort and heightened sensitivity. The freshly fixed tooth might become extremely sensitive following the procedure. In case the tooth that's been capped still has a nerve in it, you might suffer from heat/cold extra-sensitivity.
• Chipping. Chipping can occasionally occur with porcelain caps. This is fixable with no particular difficulties, so pay a visit to your dentist before it's not too late.
• Crown either feeling loose or falling off completely. Due to loosening not being addressed, a cap can fall off completely. As per usual, we suggest calling your dentist right away so they will give you clear instructions on how to preserve the tooth/cap before it gets recemented in place.
• Allergic reaction. As we briefly mentioned before whilst talking in regards to the difference between porcelain and ceramic crowns, if a person is susceptible to metal-induced allergic reactions, it could occur with PFM-type caps.

Best Type of Tooth Crown

Frankly speaking, it is impossible to say because it's dependent upon a multitude of diverse influences. In general, all-porcelain and all-ceramic caps are considered to be superior to porcelain-fused-to-metal ones, but many people have completely different opinions regarding this subject.

For instance, some people say that one of the biggest porcelain crowns disadvantages is that there exists a cheaper substitute - all-resin dental caps. The detail that these people fail to mention is the fact that these types of caps are significantly more prone to damage and can't last very long in general.

When talking about ceramic crowns disadvantages and how well they stack up against, say, stainless steel crowns, biggest issue remains the same – many people don't appreciate the fact that they have to pay for quality.

If you want our professional opinion on this subject, we would say that the best kind of tooth cap is either all-ceramic or all-porcelain. Spending more initially will prevent you from losing money in the long run, i.e. countless visits to the NYC dentist if your all-resin caps were NOT as high-quality as you were led to believe.

How Long Do Ceramic Crowns Last?

By and large, dental caps could last somewhere between 4 to 20 years. Their life expectancy, of course, depends on many criteria related to one's dental hygiene, oral fixation style habits (smoking, clenching teeth, biting fingernails, and so forth). What you should really bear in mind that while dental caps don't require any special care, you still have to exercise good hygiene to shield your natural teeth from decay or periodontal disease. Essentially, if you don't do anything predominantly "unwise" with your capped teeth, you can expect your dentures to last even more than 20 years.