Porcelain crowns are ceramic restorations that cover the entire chewing area of a tooth. Crowns are usually placed on to teeth that are too badly broken down to be repaired with a simple filling. Modern porcelain materials currently available allow a talented technician to create replacement teeth that are truly works of art. Many porcelain crowns are indistinguishable from natural teeth.


Full-cast gold crowns are simply that, all gold. Since pure gold, in its elemental form, is too soft for dental uses, crowns also have small amounts of other elements (such as platinum or palladium) to make the alloy hard enough to chew on. Since gold crowns have no porcelain coverings, they are primarily used on molar (back) teeth. From a durability perspective, full-cast gold restorations are unchallenged. These are ideal for patients who grind their teeth or have very strong bites. Such patients often break porcelain crowns. Gold crowns are also an excellent choice for highly-allergic patients, as gold allergies are extremely rare.