The defining feature of all-ceramic crowns is that they offer a natural look. Most of the ceramic dental crowns are made using CAD/CAM technology, with 3D design. While there are several benefits of getting an all-ceramic dental crown, it’s only fair to also highlight its disadvantages.
Here are the disadvantages you should know:
1. Less Durable
All-ceramic crowns can also last for many years, but they’re less durable as compared to other types of dental crowns. All-ceramic crowns are more prone to breaking or cracking. In terms of longevity and durability, nothing beats an all-metal crown.
In cases where the appearance of an all-metal crown is not acceptable, PFMs (porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns) are able to deliver both esthetic benefits and durability. Ceramic crowns are also less predictable. They don’t have the long-term track record of durability and longevity as PFM and all-metal crowns do. In fact, there are types of ceramic crowns that have inferior physical characteristics in terms of brittleness, hardness, and resistance to fracture.
2. No Repair Is Possible
No repair is possible if the full thickness of the all-ceramic crown has cracked. The restoration will have to be replaced, preferably before bacteria can penetrate to the tooth beneath and might cause problems such as tooth decay or even recontamination of the interior of a tooth that went through root canal treatment.
Minor chips can be smoothened with the use of a dental drill. Bigger defects can be repaired by bonding dental composite to the area, but the longevity of these repairs can even be more problematic.
3. Mediocre Appearance (Milled Ceramic Crowns)
In regard to milled crowns using CAD/CAM, since the dental crown is cut out from a block of ceramic, it might not possess the same translucency as compared to crowns handcrafted by a dental technician. Milled crowns are usually characterized by staining and glazing. But this is only done on the surface and doesn’t deliver the same enamel-like luster as the other ceramic crowns. In short, it’s likely going to look less natural.
This may not be much of a concern for a tooth that doesn’t show prominently, like molar and premolar tooth, but for upper front teeth (incisors and canines), this may be a problem.
Gathering information about the available dental crowns before visiting your dentist may help your decision making. By having an idea about dental crowns, you’ll know the right questions to ask your dentist.