Dental crowns can cover deep staining, cracks, or cavities or seal up a tooth following root canal therapy. Cosmetic dentistry or general dentistry offices can craft a crown out of a variety of pure materials or combinations of materials. One type is an all-metal crown, which has particular pros and cons that can help determine whether this type is right for you.

Here are a few of the essentials for determining if an all-metal dental crown will treat your dental problem.

Treatment Tooth is a Molar

All-metal crowns offer greater strength than all-porcelain or even metal-backed porcelain models. The strength comes in handy when the treatment tooth takes on much of the bite force during chewing, which could weaken or chip porcelain materials. Molar teeth in particular need this added strength due to the amount of grinding force the tooth takes on during the normal chewing process.

Molar teeth also reside towards the rear of the mouth where others will not see the crown, which is likely desirable since the all-metal crown doesn't vaguely resemble a natural tooth. Do note that if you open your mouth wide while speaking or smiling, there is a higher chances that someone will notice the crown. You can weigh whether you value the strength or the cosmetic look of a crown more heavily.

You Have a History of Teeth Grinding

If you have a history of teeth grinding, you might want to go with an all-metal crown regardless of whether or not the tooth in question takes on a lot of chewing bite force. Your grinding puts additional bite force on all of the teeth in your mouth.

The metal crown will look more obviously artificial when placed near the front of your mouth, but you need to consider whether you want to risk breaking a natural-looking dental crown or keeping the tooth healthy and protected. A broken crown poses the same threats as a broken tooth, which include exposing the sensitive root canal material inside the tooth and leaving the tooth open to infections.

Cost is a Factor

Metal amalgam crowns, like metal fillings, cost less than most other crown materials despite being structurally stronger. If cost is a deciding factor in your dental treatment, choose an all-metal crown over a type made of or with porcelain.

Amalgam crowns offer a discount, but other metals, such as gold crowns, can cost more than porcelain. Discuss your dental crown options, and potential prices, in detail with your dentist. Click here to read more.