Which Dental Crown is the Best for a Molar Tooth

These days many experts speculate on what is the best crown for molar tooth. We will try to answer this question in our article. We’ll review each of them one by one and try to learn what is the best crown material for molars. But first, let’s see why you may need a crown on a molar tooth. Molars are the big flat teeth at the back of your mouth, and a crown is like a “cap” that is installed to fortify the tooth. There are several reasons for why you may need a crown on back molar:

Shielding for a weak tooth. It may be installed to keep it together if some parts of it have broken. Also, it may be installed to keep a decaying tooth intact.
Tooth restoration. If the tooth is severely broken, installing a crown is a requirement for the restoration process.
Root canal treatment. When the root canal treatment is conducted, the tooth becomes hollow, which makes it more vulnerable and increases the risk of infection. Therefore, a dental crown is needed to preserve the tooth.

Dentists may use a selection of different materials for crown on back molars. They all have their own advantages and disadvantages and their price varies as well. If there’s a choice, what option is better?

Porcelain crown molar is a good choice for anyone who’s going for aesthetics and good looks. For many years, porcelain has been thought of as one of the best crown materials for molars. It imitates natural teeth very well. It also decreases teeth sensitivity since porcelain doesn’t conduct heat or cold well. The drawback of having a porcelain crown molar is that this material is actually very fragile. Yes, it is more solid than natural enamel, but it is susceptible to extensive pressure. It is also not a very good choice for people who have a bad habit of grinding their teeth. Zirconia crown molars are a very good choice for the majority of people. They are long-lasting and powerful, they can be painted to perfectly mimic the natural look and they are easy to install.
Zirconia is a non-reactive metal and it works perfectly for dental restorations. However, some patients could be allergic to zirconia. It doesn’t happen very often, but testing it before installation might be a good idea. There is a variety of metal crown molars. One of the most approved ones are gold alloys and metal crowns bonded with porcelain. Gold alloy crowns have been used in dental medicine for a long time due to their toughness and reliability. Nowadays they’re not as widespread because of cosmetic reasons, however, they’re one of the finest crowns you can get.
There are some more downsides though, for example, gold conveys heat and cold very well which may increase tooth sensitivity. It also can effect a reaction in a patient's mouth, despite the fact that it is one of the metals that hardly ever causes a reaction.

What if you have a broken molar crown? Well, it’s best to arrange an appointment with the dentist at your earliest convenience. They will assess the damage and decide what to do with your crown on a molar tooth. The treatment depends on the damage. If it’s a small crack in the crown, the dentist may just fill it in with the same-color material and the tooth will look the same as before. If it’s a chipped crown, the dentist usually attaches a composite to repair the part that has chipped off. If the crown is completely broken, the general decision would be to replace the crown completely. The problem is that if you have damaged one crown, the surrounding teeth could also be damaged. It can be hard to see, especially if it’s a crown on back molar. There may also be hairline cracks in the teeth, which are not as easy to see and may be revealed upon dentist’s inspection. This is why you definitely need to go to the dentist’s when you’ve chipped off or broken a part of a crown or even if you feel a slight discomfort there. It’s better to treat these issues early.

We described three of the best crown materials for molars. If you would need to choose a specific dental crown material, we expect this article to help you make the right decision. Make sure to learn the advantages and disadvantages of every option and decide what would be the best one. Don’t forget to ask your dentist for advice. Hopefully, you won’t have to worry about this, but if you do, you have read this article and you know what’s better for you.