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Hiding your smile because of missing, broken or chipped teeth is something we at Icy Dental want to put a stop to. We offer long lasting, esthetically pleasing porcelain crowns and bridges to improve your smile. Icy Dental was built with our patients in mind. We combine cutting-edge dental technology with a team that truly cares about you, a relaxing environment, and amenities that delight. We are committed to providing you with oral health care to give your teeth optimal form and function over a lifetime. Enjoy a personalized appointment with our team in East Lansing. Dr. Boyd Yu is committed to helping you keep your teeth in optimal form and function over a lifetime. Enhance your smile with Porcelain Dental Crowns at Icy Dental, East Lansing, MI. Restore and beautify your teeth. Call today or book an appointment online.
What material do you use for crowns?
At Icy Dental, our goal is to make your restorations look as natural as possible. When there is significant damage to teeth, we may suggest that you consider a crown. The majority of crowns or caps today are made of some type of porcelain. Although gold crowns and porcelain fused to metal crowns are still used today, there are many benefits to having crowns made from purely porcelain.
Why porcelain?
Today, porcelain crowns are much more common. Since their first use, porcelain has become much stronger. They are now the go to when crowns are made and can be made without any metal. Porcelain can be made to look identical to teeth, even to the trained eye and can be used to hide unsightly stains or darker colored teeth. There are a variety of porcelain colors, many of which can be used to imitate natural teeth. The big benefit of porcelain is that the material can be semi-translucent, making them look lifelike.
What is the process of getting a crown?
Having a crown made at the office is a two step process. The first visit requires that we prepare the tooth for a crown and have impressions taken. A temporary is placed at the end of your first visit. The impressions are then sent to a lab where the crown is made. When that is completed, you return to the office to have the temporary removed. We make sure that the crown fits perfectly and that the color of porcelain selected blends with the rest of your smile. When everything has been checked and we are confident that you will be happy with your smile, the porcelain crown will be bonded into place.
Do porcelain crowns chip? How long do they last?
Full porcelain crowns are also much less likely to chip than porcelain fused to metal crowns. When a mouth guard is used, the likelihood of the porcelain chipping becomes much less likely. Bonded porcelain crowns, when taken care of properly, can last for a lifetime.
Why not gold or porcelain fused to metal crowns?
Why not gold or porcelain fused to metal crowns?
In the past, gold crowns were highly recommended due to the metal’s harmonious match with teeth. Gold is soft and helps to prevent the damage of opposing teeth. Gold is also wear-resistant and the expansion and contraction of gold is similar to that of the tooth. All these properties help to extend the life of a gold crown, which is fairly resistant to cracks, chips, and other failures. Gold is also easy to burnish, helping to make gold crowns a perfect fit every time. Tooth structure is also preserved when making a crown due to the metal’s strength, leaving more natural tooth remaining. Gold restorations, when cared for properly, can last for decades. They are also very expensive with the increase in cost of gold since they were introduced.
Porcelains were also previously used, but usually together with metal. These are what we call porcelain fused to metal crowns. Metals were used to impart strength while the porcelain helped to make it look more natural. Because of the metal layer, old porcelain crowns required a white shade of blocker to help prevent the porcelain from showing the dark metal underneath. The thin layer of porcelain on top of the metal is also more prone to chipping.
Ready to upgrade your smile? Icy Dental offers top-notch Porcelain Dental Crowns, serving Greater Lansing Area, including East Lansing, Lansing, Okemos, Meridian Charter Township, Bath Township, Holt, and beyond. Contact us for more details or schedule your appointment today!