It is noted that chewing teeth most often suffer from caries and pulpitis. This is explained by the large loads on the molars, the peculiarities of their location in the oral cavity and the anatomical structure. Chewing teeth are naturally designed in such a way that plaque and food debris accumulate on them more than on incisors, but getting to them when cleaning with a brush and floss is much more difficult. That's why they go bad in the first place.

If only a small part of the tooth remains above the gum after treatment, but the tooth itself sits firmly in the hole, the dentist will definitely advise you to put a crown on it. This must be done, since the voids in the dentition negatively affect the functionality and positions of other teeth, bite, and the state of the jaw bone tissue. Yes, and chewing food in the absence of molars will not be as high quality as required.

And then the patient has a natural question: which crown is better to put on chewing teeth? After all, a good denture and the very procedure for installing a crown will cost a lot, so everyone would like money and time not to be wasted, if there is no other way.

What crowns exist

Fifty years ago, metal crowns were predominantly used in dentistry, and it was considered especially chic to put a gold-plated crown. Today, three types of crowns are used for prosthetics:

  • metal;
  • non-metallic;
  • combined.

Metal crowns made of stainless steel, medical alloy or brass are currently used mainly in free medicine, as these are the most affordable prostheses, their installation does not take much time and does not require high professionalism. Such coatings are very resistant to abrasion and mechanical damage - they can withstand up to 15 years of operation without any problems.

Non-metallic are ceramics, cermets and plastics. Due to toxicity and fragility, plastic is used only for temporary crowns that are needed during the treatment and implantation of teeth, so as not to violate the integrity of the dentition while dentures are being made.

The most popular crowns are made of ceramics and cermets (the metal frame is covered with ceramic spraying). They are strong enough and very aesthetic - you can choose a crown exactly the color of the tooth enamel and recreate the anatomical shape of the lost tooth. But they also cost several times more than their metal counterparts.

Combined crowns are used when the patient does not have enough money to put ceramic-metal everywhere, or the indications require the installation of both metal and ceramic crowns on different teeth. Which of them is better to put if you need to restore chewing teeth?

Which crowns are better to put on chewing teeth

The chewing tooth, whether upper or lower, anterior or extreme, always has a large load when eating. Therefore, the crown on it must be very strong and durable. Since such teeth are located deep in the mouth and are not conspicuous when articulating or laughing, doctors recommend not spending extra money and installing orthodontic structures made of a metal alloy.

Important information: plastic structures are also inexpensive compared to ceramic ones, and are installed quickly, but they are categorically not suitable for chewing teeth, as they are very quickly wiped out, worn out, can be deformed and cracked. Plastic is toxic, stains easily and quickly loses its original appearance.

Metal prostheses meet all technical requirements and will cope with the tasks assigned to them: they are dense, strong, not subject to rapid abrasion, do not deform even under heavy loads and are durable. They are used not only if the tooth is partially destroyed. With pathological abrasion of chewing teeth, they will also be the best solution.

Another advantage of all-metal crowns in this case is that the tooth under them almost does not need to be filed. This is very important for those patients whose bone tissues do not differ in strength and density, and the walls of the teeth may simply not withstand the treatment before prosthetics and crumble.

If the walls of the teeth are sufficiently thick and strong, then, as an alternative, cermets can also be used. The metal frame will cover the tooth from all sides, take on the load during chewing and evenly distribute them. And the top ceramic crown will provide a flawless appearance.

Recently, zirconia crowns have become especially popular. But such crowns must be handled very carefully, if carelessly pressed while biting or chewing food, they can be easily damaged.

It is up to the patient to decide which metal crowns should be placed - from a medical alloy, brass, gold or other materials. In this case, the doctor can only give recommendations based on the physiological characteristics of the patient.

What else do you need to know

Everyone has the right to their own opinion, which crowns are better to put - after all, he has to live with them every day. But if you ask dentists, most of them will answer that it is better to install metal-ceramic ones. And it's not just their cost, which is certainly more profitable for the doctor than the installation of metal ones.

Metal ceramics has a number of advantages in comparison with prostheses made of other materials, which is why it is currently considered the best that orthodontic and aesthetic dentistry can offer.

  1. Aesthetics - this means the ability to accurately select the crown according to the color of the tooth enamel and shape, visually it will not differ in any way from a real tooth. in addition, ceramics are not stained with pigments, do not darken, it is very easy to care for such a prosthesis.
  2. Durability - the metal frame provides wear resistance and resistance to mechanical damage.
  3. Non-toxic - metal still remains metal, and there are frequent cases when all-metal crowns caused severe allergic reactions, an unpleasant aftertaste in the mouth, changes in taste sensations, and discoloration of the enamel of adjacent teeth. This will never happen with cermet, despite the fact that the frame is also made of a metal alloy.

The only disadvantage of such crowns is their high cost. But if you look globally, taking into account how the crown will behave in operation and how long it will last, whether it will have to be changed and what means will be needed for proper home care, the costs are not so great. In any case, those who decided to install just such crowns did not complain about the result.

So, if we talk about which structures are better to put on molars, based on their functionality and appearance, then the answer will be - ceramic-metal. If, first of all, we take into account strength and budget, then the choice is on metal structures.