If you suffer from bruxism, or teeth grinding, you may have prematurely worn the cusps down on your teeth. If you have any dental restorations, like crowns, these materials can break down more quickly if you grind your teeth. Ideally, you should wear a mouthguard at night to protect your teeth from grinding; but if you need to get a new crown restoration, you should opt for a durable material, like gold or porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM). Read on to learn more about gold and PFMs to see which material is better for your situation.
Gold Crowns
Cold crowns are incredibly durable, so if you have posterior teeth that have damage from clenching or grinding, gold can be a great choice since it can last for decades before needing a replacement.
Other crown materials usually require more enamel to provide adequate support. Gold is very malleable, however, and less material is required to manufacture a crown. This means that if you have very little natural enamel left form decay or grinding, it may still be able to support a gold crown. Gold can be a good option for people with gum sensitivity or people who have allergies to other metals.
The main downside of gold is obviously the color. If you have a molar or premolar that needs a crown, a gold restoration may not be a big deal since these teeth aren't easily seen when you smile. However, if you are placing an anterior tooth, like the central incisor, you may want a more aesthetic option.
Porcelain-Fused-to-Metal Crowns
The problem with aesthetic options is that they typically aren't as durable and may break if you have bruxism. However, a PFM crown is a great way to get both a durable crown and an aesthetic one. PFMs are made of metal, but then porcelain is laid over the top to look like natural enamel.
PFMs are great for both anterior and posterior teeth. They are more affordable than other options, and they are very durable for people with bruxism since the underlying metal makes them more resistant to cracks or chips. If you have a metal allergy, like to nickel, you may be worried that you cannot get a PFM, but the good news is that there are lots of alloy mixes that you could choose from. You could get a gold, platinum, silver, palladium, or titanium alloy and avoid the specific metal that causes a reaction.
PFMs are not a good option if you have gum recession, as receding gums can expose the metal portion of the crown as it transitions into the porcelain.
Reach out to a dentist in your area today for more details about dental crown restoration work and your options.
Share13 November 2020
Hi, my name is Kevin Nelson and I want to tell you about my experience. I had a painful tooth so I went to see my dentist. After the examination, he said that I needed to have a root canal to save the tooth. I told the dentist to just pull the tooth instead and then he explained why that wasn't a good idea. He said that pulling the tooth would cause additional problems and then he told me what could happen. I didn't want any more problems, so the dentist did the root canal and I'm glad that he did. I wanted to write a blog to tell others about the benefits of a root canal and what to expect during the procedure. I hope that by getting the word out, other people won't make the same mistake that I almost did by getting a perfectly good tooth pulled.