Metal Free Crowns & Bridges

Have you ever noticed someone who obviously has crowns on their teeth? One of the tell tail signs is a gray discoloration at the gum line. This discoloration is from the metal that porcelain is baked on in a process known as porcelain fused to metal or PFM.

PFM crowns have been the standard for quality dental restorations for over 50 years. When made properly they have a very precise fit, are extremely durable and can give excellent esthetics. The problem is that natural teeth are translucent, allowing light to pass through them. When you put a metal coping on the tooth, it blocks the light.

Opaquers then need to put on the casting to hide the gray color of the metal. All of this blocks the light that would normally be transmitted down the root of the tooth creating a shadow at the gum line.

New options in all ceramic materials are rapidly replacing the PFM. Pressed or CAD/CAM milled high strength ceramics, as well as zirconium frameworks can provide strength that is every bit as durable as PFM but allow light to be transmitted just like natural teeth.

At East Hills Dental, we have been fully committed to all ceramic restorations for many years. We installed our first Ivoclar EP600 ceramic pressing unit in 2001. Today we have added CAD/CAM milling technology and continue to choose all ceramic options when ever possible.