PFM-Porcelain fused to metal Crowns-Advantages and disadvantages of Ceramic crowns..

Other names

  PFM -porcelain fused metal crowns
  Ceramic crown
  Porcelain cap
these names indicate the PFM caps...used to cover ,protect the decayed teeth..

What is PFM Crown?

   The PFM crowns are one where an overlying surface of porcelain is fused onto an underlying coping or cover of metal.This structure allows PFM crowns to offer many of the benefits of both all-metal and all-ceramic crowns.

Advantages of PFM Caps

  -These crowns are very strong and protect the root canal treated teeth from breakage...though not as strong as zirconium

  -PFM crowns can give pleasing aesthetics.Though not as transulcent and esthetic as full ceramic or zirconium crowns ,,they offer better esthetics in economical way..

  -Time tested..they have been placed by dentists for decades together

Disadvantages of PFM crown and bridges

   PFM Crowns do have some disadvantages ..

    1.Poor esthetics especially in front teeth region in smile zone..especially if you have high smile line i.e if your gum is visible when you smile wide..

the metal margin near the gingiva will be shown as dark line when you smile and when the gum receeds this problem will become more

   2.Chipping of porcelain from metal coping.This may be due errors in lab,poor quality material or night girding http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruxism(bruxism) by the patient

   3.The porcelain teeth may wear opposing natural teeth if bite is not properly checked by the dentist

   4.The metal is not very biocompatabile to gum like zirconium

   5.The quality of fitting and precision is less compared to zirconium

Pictures showing porcelain chipping

                                 Picture showing fractured porcelain crown on left bridge

Porcelalin chipping ....in PFM BRIDGE,,

Cost of PFM Crowns and bridges

To know the cost of PFM Bridges click here..http://www.drmurugavel.in/Cost-of-dental-implants-Chennai-Tamilnadu-India