There are generally three types of caps - those made of gold, ceramic caps
and ceramic-veneered gold caps. Gold and metal-ceramic caps are extremely durable and are
normally used in molars, where the forces from chewing and grinding are most prevalent.
Ceramic caps are used primarily for front teeth, since they can best resemble the natural
tooth color and are more pleasing to the eye.
Types of Porcelain
used with Dental Caps
There are basically two types of
porcelain you're likely to hear and read about most when researching
dental caps and crowns- the felspathic and pressed ceramic porcelains.
The felspathic type is the original method that has been around for 20
years. A Ceramist in a dental lab bakes porcelain onto tin foil and then
heats it in an oven. The Ceramist is able to create tints and opaques
inside the porcelain of the dental cap or crown to give the natural look
we seek.
Pressed ceramic is created from a single ingot. The single ingot is
milled in one piece to create the desired shape of the cap or crown. The
stains and opaques are applied only to the surface of the porcelain to
give a natural look for your new smile.
Resin and Porcelain Caps
The new reinforced resin or bonded all-porcelain type
of cap has the nicest appearance. This cap can be made from pure ceramic or a new
reinforced composite resin. It is almost indistinguishable from natural teeth. The new
bonding technology involved provides an exceptional bond your tooth. It is metal-free, and
thus satisfies the needs of patients with metal sensitivities. When correcting your back
teeth with bonding, the cosmetic dentist will perform a tooth colored onlay. This type of
procedure is used to correct only the parts of your tooth that are in need. This procedure
is metal-free.
Caps Made of Gold
Gold caps are used when appearance is not a priority to
you. The gold is extremely workable, making gold caps a more precise fit than any
other type. While there exists a slight possibility of chipping with porcelain caps, gold
caps provide no such possibility.
Porcelain and Metal Caps
For a very natural appearance, porcelain fused to metal
caps are the answer for you. However, they have a metal substructure and require an opaque
below the porcelain, which can make the translucency of natural teeth difficult to match.
Sometimes a darker line will be visible at the edge of the cap, near to your gum when your
gum recedes with age.
Next: Tooth caps, costs &
prices for the procedure
- Introduction to dental caps section
- Dental caps - an overview
- Who is a candidate for having teeth capped?
- Tooth caps - Procedure description
- Varieties of tooth caps
- How much do dental caps cost?
- Pros and cons of tooth caps
- Dental caps - Before and after photos
- Personal stories from people who have had tooth caps
- Picking a color for tooth caps
- Discuss caps with others
  
A guide to dental crowns and caps. |
