The main materials from which a dental crown can be made are gold, porcelain, porcelain fused to metal, zirconium and lithium disilicate.

Gold crowns

They are not actually gold, but are made of various copper alloys. They are not a very popular option these days, but are still used and offered in certain cases. This is because they have several specific advantages:

• Extremely strong and resistant to wear – their rate of wear is very low, comparable to that of tooth enamel;
• Their placement requires the removal of a smaller part of the tooth on which they are placed;
• With proper care, they last extremely long.

The obvious disadvantage of this type of crown is that they do not look like natural teeth. Also, in rare cases, they can cause allergic reactions in people sensitive to these metals.

Porcelain crowns

Probably the most popular type of crown used today. They are completely made of porcelain. In terms of how they look, porcelain crowns are the closest to natural teeth. They can be made virtually indistinguishable in shape, size, color and texture. This is why this type of material is preferred when crowns are to be placed on front teeth. Porcelain is also a material that is non-toxic and does not cause allergic reactions.

The main disadvantage of porcelain crowns is their lower strength. Therefore, patients with bruxism are unsuitable for placement of porcelain crowns.

Metal-porcelain crowns

This is also one of the most popular types of crowns that are used. They combine the qualities of the materials that are used for their manufacture – strength, because their base is metal, and an excellent aesthetic appearance, which is achieved with the porcelain coating. They are an excellent choice, not only because of the strength and aesthetics, but also because of the good price – significantly lower than all-porcelain crowns.

Their main drawback is that sometimes the metal forms a thin gray line, just above the gum, which disturbs the perfect aesthetic appearance.

Zirconium crowns

Zirconium is a material that has been used for a relatively short time. This material has strength similar to that of metal and aesthetic possibilities similar to those of porcelain. For this reason, it is gaining more and more popularity. Zirconium has many advantages:

• Strength and excellent aesthetic appearance;
• The crown can be made on site without the need to send it to a dental laboratory;
• Excellent acceptance by the patient’s body – the absence of metal excludes the possibility of an allergic reaction;
• Zirconium has excellent wear resistance and is very durable over time.

The qualities of zirconia can sometimes be a problem – teeth against a zirconia crown may start to wear faster due to the strength of the crown. Sometimes because of the thickness of the material, these crowns are difficult to adjust.

Lithium dislicate crowns

This material is the latest to be used to make crowns in the modern dental industry. It is a type of ceramic material that is light, thin and very strong. Crowns made of lithium dislocate are very strong and look great. They are an excellent choice for both front and back teeth. Their main disadvantage is the higher price.