Natural Looking Porcelain Crowns

Have you ever thought what makes porcelain dental crowns so natural looking and strong?

One type of porcelain crown is made from lithium disilicate, a ceramic restorative material that garners excellent esthetics.  With a flexural strength of 360-400 MPa, it has excellent strength and is suitable for anterior crowns where esthetics is desired, as the outside layer is veneered (or layered) to achieve optimal shade, value, chroma, and brightness.  One example is IPS e.max, where the crowns can be pressed or milled from an intra-oral digital scanning device, and then milled (fabricated) from an in-house lab milling machine.

For posterior teeth, a single layer monolithic lithium disilicate may be optimal as this uniform layer gives porcelain crowns outstanding strength.  Its flexural strength is near 1,000 MPa, and its compressive strength makes it as strong as gold and natural teeth.  This makes allows these crowns to be highly resistant to chipping and fracture, and its strength makes it a solid choice for even those who have bruxism (night time grinding) and severe Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) and TMJ issues.

If you have any questions regarding porcelain crowns, consult with your family dentist to see if they are suitable.

From your family Bellevue dentist,
Dr. Peter Chien
(425) 614-1600
www.bellevuefamilydentistry.com