The most common type of tooth crown that dentists use is porcelain fused to metal. However, when placed in the esthetic zone of your mouth, there are some significant esthetic problems with a porcelain fused to metal crown:
- Opaque Color – Tooth enamel is translucent, and so is tooth dentin. Light passes through your natural teeth. When a metal foundation is used underneath a crown on front teeth, it makes the crown opaque. Thus, it is impossible to have a perfectly natural looking porcelain fused to metal crown.
- Black Line – Porcelain fused to metal crowns develop a black line where the crown meets the tooth. You have maybe noticed this line on friends’ teeth.
Pure ceramic crowns are more difficult to place and require special bonding techniques that many dentists are unfamiliar with. However, they can be made to match your natural teeth perfectly, in color and translucency. And there is no unsightly black line at the gumline.
