What are my options for replacing a metal-based crown?

Patients may originally choose dental crowns made of metal materials, or of porcelain fused to metal, but become dissatisfied with those restorations over time. Perhaps the porcelain has worn away a bit, exposing the metal underneath or the patient prefers to replace a “gold” crown with a tooth-colored one that blends in with the smile.
Your dentist can help you replace these metal-based crowns with a restoration that is friendlier to the smile’s aesthetics. Furthermore, with CEREC crowns, this swap can take place in a single appointment. There’s no need to wait for an external dental lab to design and craft your crown and then return it to the office so that it can be placed.
CEREC stands for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics. With this treatment system, your dentist will take the necessary measurements and photos using an intraoral camera and use specialized computer software to design your crown right in the office. The in-house milling unit then creates the crown from a block of ceramic material. Because no metal is involved in a CEREC crown, it eliminates the possibility that the metal’s appearance will mar the smile.
Minor adjustments can be made to the crown before it is bonded to the tooth, if necessary to achieve the desired fit and shade. When the patient is satisfied with the final product, it is then bonded to the tooth.
In addition to replacing old crowns, CEREC can be useful for patients who need a new crown to restore a tooth damaged by decay or injury. Patients in these circumstances again gain the benefits of immediate crown fitting and no need to wear a temporary restoration that may be uncomfortable or loose.
If you want to get rid of an old metal-based crown, contact the office of Dr. Philip R. Kozlow to schedule a consultation and learn about the alternatives. There’s no need to settle for a crown’s visible metal portion to detract from your smile.