Porcelain Dental Crowns
San Diego, California
A dental crown is a shell placed over a damaged tooth to prolong its life. Traditionally they have been made of a gold alloy but modern cosmetic dentistry has made vast improvements in crown procedures. Now you can have a gleaming white porcelain crown that nobody will know is not your natural tooth.
If you have broken, decayed or otherwise damaged teeth, Dr. Loye can repair and preserve them by giving each one an entire new surface. The inside of the tooth and its root can remain in place, and the porcelain crown will give it a new chewing surface and protection on all sides.
Two types of porcelain crowns
- Porcelain-fused-to-metal – with a metal lining
Porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns are very strong and durable. The porcelain outside surface looks very similar to natural enamel and Dr. Loye would choose a shade of porcelain to best match the shade of your natural teeth. The downside of this type of crown is that as we age, and our gums slowly recede a little, the metal lining starts to show. It looks like a thin black line at the edge of the crown and betrays the fact that it is indeed a crown and not your own tooth.
- All-porcelain – with a different porcelain giving them a white lining
All-porcelain crowns have the same pearly white appearance and are very strong and durable. Since they have a porcelain lining, even if your gums recede and expose it slightly as you age, it will not be visible except to your dentist.
Gold crowns are still offered in some dental offices. The good thing about them is their strength and durability. Typically they are used only on back teeth where they will not be so visible.
The crown procedure
Dr. Loye would remove all decay and debris from the tooth first. He would then make an impression of it, a mold, and send it to his dental laboratory. While the lab makes the crown based on this mold, you can wear a temporary crown for a week or two. In a second visit, the temporary is removed and the permanent porcelain crown is bonded to the tooth.
Matching the color of the crown to the color of the surrounding teeth is as much an art as it is a science. It takes a good eye for color subtleties and thorough training in how porcelain behaves. This is one reason why it's important to choose a fully-qualified cosmetic dentist.
If you are in the San Diego, California area, please contact us today to schedule a personal consultation. Your brighter, happier smile is on the way!
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The Dentist that Makes You Smile!
3830 Valley Center Drive, Suite 702
San Diego, CA 92130
