What Is a PFM Crown? Your Guide to This Popular Dental Treatment

Porcelain fused to metal crowns, alternatively called PFM crowns, are trendy and reliable solutions to restore severely decayed or damaged teeth. PFM crowns are reliable because of their durability and aesthetics. In addition, PFM crowns closely resemble the appearance of a natural tooth and remain in the mouth for over a decade with appropriate dental hygiene practices.

How Are PFM Crowns Made?

Lab technicians use a cast metal substructure covered with porcelain to make PFM crowns. However, before their creation, the tooth must undergo substantial reduction, and the PFM crown must be thick to hide the metal structure and the porcelain helping mask the alloy.

After preparing your tooth for PFM crowns, the dentist in Highland Village sends impressions of the upper and lower teeth to the dental lab, where they are initially cleaned and disinfected. If you are wondering what a PFM crown is, it is a porcelain-fused-to-metal crown with a metal substructure shaped as a cap to fit perfectly over your tooth covered by a porcelain coating.

If you need PFM restorations for anterior teeth, the damaged or decayed tooth requires grinding down by the Highland Village dentist to remove damaged tissue and create sufficient room to fit the metal and porcelain crown onto it. Making PFM crowns involves several steps that the dental lab technician manages step-by-step. PFM crowns require at least three weeks to fabricate in dental labs, until which time your prepared tooth is covered with a temporary acrylic crown. You can have the PFM crown on the prepared tooth after the dental lab returns it to the Highland Village dentist in approximately three weeks.

What Are the Benefits of PFM Crowns?

PFM crowns are acknowledged for their durability and aesthetics. Porcelain fused to metal crowns are beautiful, and the supportive metal base of the crown gives your restored tooth sufficient biting power to prevent chips or cracks, making it a better option than all-porcelain crowns. In addition, PFM crowns are ideal for the anterior and posterior teeth to maintain a natural-looking smile.

PFM crowns can last longer than porcelain crowns, with an intermediate lifespan of 10 to 15 years. They are also more durable than all-porcelain crowns, which tend to cost double the price of PFM crowns.

Are There Any Drawbacks to PFM Crowns?

While PFM crowns are an excellent choice for many patients, they do have some drawbacks. For example, PFM crowns have a different aesthetic than all-porcelain crowns, which closely resemble the tooth in the mouth. In addition, many patients worry about the metal content in PFM crowns. Some patients are allergic to metals such as chromium, stainless steel, nickel, et cetera and might have adverse reactions to PFM crowns cast with these types of metals or alloys.

Unfortunately, porcelain fused to metal crowns does not meet the natural translucency of the tooth because of the metal beneath the porcelain layer. Therefore, while the PFM crown color closely matches the natural color of the teeth, the targeted tooth might appear flattened to the adjacent teeth. In addition, improperly fabricated PFM crowns might form a thin black line near the gums causing many patients to seek replacements to remove its unaesthetic appearance. It is one of the main reasons patients express reluctance to receive PFM crowns, although the restorations do not reveal metal even if the patient suffers from gum recession. Dental labs take special precautions when making PFM crowns to ensure the black line never develops to provide a suitable restoration for patients.

How Can I Find a Dentist Who Offers PFM Crowns?

Finding a dentist offering PFM crowns in Highland Village, TX, is not a challenge because researching online will provide information on the Highland Village dentist, providing them to restore anterior or posterior damaged teeth. However, before you visit the professional, it helps if you prepare for the dental crown process and set aside time for at least two appointments before getting your tooth restored.

Porcelain fused to metal crowns has become incredibly popular among many with decayed or damaged teeth. Besides their affordability and durability, PFM crowns also match the color of the surrounding teeth, making them ideal for restoring damaged teeth.

If you have damaged or decayed teeth Campbell & Williams Family Dental can provide PFM crowns to restore them, giving you an affordable and durable technique to fix your teeth. Consult this practice to repair your teeth and restore their size, strength, and appearance with PFM crowns in Highland village.