Dental Crowns
San Mateo Dentist | Robert P. Choi, DDS

What are dental crowns?

Porcelain-fused-to-metal

Metal

What Are "Onlays" and "3/4 Crowns?"

All-Resin

Bridges

Robert P. Choi, D.D.S.
San Mateo Family and
Cosmetic Dentist

Make an appointment today
(650) 341-0424

  1919 O'Farrell St. #2
  San Mateo, CA 94403
  Tel: (650) 341-0424

  Hours of Operation
  Mon: 9am-1pm
  Tue, Wed, Thur:
         8am-5pm
  Saturdays by Appt

  Contact us today!

G ive your smile the royal treatment with long-lasting dental crowns. Dr. Choi can restore the shape and size, and improve the strength and appearance of your teeth with a dental crown. For a natural look, crowns can be made with strong and long-lasting materials that look indistinguishable from actual teeth.

A dental crown is a tooth-shaped "cap" that is cemented over a tooth covering the entire visible portion of a tooth that lies at and above the gum line. For a natural look, crowns can be made from ceramic, all resin, porcelain-fused-to-metal, and matched to your surrounding teeth.
Crowns can also be made from metal, including gold and nickel-based alloys. Dr. Choi can advice you on the right option for you.

Dr. Choi may recommend a dental crown for the following reasons:

To protect a weakened tooth from breaking or to hold together parts of a cracked tooth
To restore an already broken tooth or a tooth that has been severely worn down
To cover and support a tooth with a large filling when there isn't a lot of tooth left
To hold a dental bridge in place
To cover misshapened or severely discolored teeth
To cover a dental implant

O nlays and 3/4 crowns cover only a portion of the underlying tooth as opposed “traditional” dental crowns that cover it entirely. Porcelain and resin-based crowns are color matched to surrounding teeth. Like crowns, a mold will be taken of the area and sent to a lab for your onlay or 3/4 crown to be created.

P orcelain-fused-to-metal dental crowns can be color matched to your adjacent teeth, unlike metallic crowns. Next to all-ceramic crowns, porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns look most like normal teeth. These crowns can be a good choice for front or back teeth.

A ll-ceramic or all-porcelain dental crowns provide the best natural color match than any other crown type and may be more suitable for people with metal allergies. However, they are not as strong as porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns and they wear down opposing teeth a little more than metal or resin crowns. All-ceramic crowns are a good choice for front teeth.

C rowns can be made of gold alloy, or other metal based-alloys like palladium or nickel. Compared with other crown types, less tooth structure needs to be removed, and there is less wear to opposing teeth with metal crowns. Metal crowns also tend to the last the longest in terms of wear, and rarely chip or break.

	All Metal	Porcelain-fused-to metal	All Resin	Zirconia	All Ceramics
*Descriptions*	Metals used in crowns include gold alloy, other alloys (for example, palladium) or a base-metal alloy (for example, nickel or chromium).	A metal base and a porcelain layer are both used.		Zirconia based crowns.
*Wear*	Less wear to opposing teeth compared to all crowns.	More wearing to the opposing teeth occurs with this crown type compared with metal or resin crowns.	More wear compared to all metal crowns.	Same wear compared to other porcelain crowns.	Wears down opposing teeth a little more than metal or resin crowns.
*Pros*	Less tooth structure needs to be removed Rarely chip or break.	Compared to all-ceramic crowns, porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns look most like normal teeth.	More natural-looking compared to all metal crowns.	More natural-looking compared to porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns.	The best natural color match than any other crown type and may be more suitable for people with metal allergies.
*Cons*	Very conspicuous. Contrasts with other natural teeth.	Porcelain portion can chip or break off. Metal underlying the crown's porcelain can show through as a dark line. Some experience metal allergies.	Wear down over time porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns. More prone to fractures than porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns.		Not as strong as porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns.
*Locations*	Best for back molars.	Good for back and front teeth.	Best for front teeth.	Good for back and front teeth.	Best for front teeth.
Costs*	Least expensive compared to other crowns.	More expensive compare to other crowns. Less expensive than zirconia-based crowns.	Least expensive compared to other porcelain and crowns.	Most expensive compared to all crown types.	Average compared to other crowns. More expensive than gold crowns.

*To be used as a guide only. Actual costs may vary depending on a case by case basis.

Serving San Mateo, Burlingame, Belmont, San Carlos, Foster City, Redwood City, Hillsborough for over 20 years.

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©2010-2011 Robert P. Choi D.D.S.

Fixed, or permanent, bridges replace one or more teeth by placing crowns on the teeth on either side of the space and attaching artificial teeth to them. This "bridge" is then cemented into place. Not only does a partial denture fill in the spaces created by missing teeth, it prevents other teeth from changing position.