Dental crowns are used in dentistry for a wide range of purposes. Whether you’re trying to fix a cracked tooth, repair serious decay, finish up a root canal, or just make a tooth look a little better, these restorations can give you the results you’re looking for.
However, dental crowns will give out eventually, and it’s better to replace them before they fall out of your mouth on their own. Here’s what you should know about your dental crown’s expected lifespan.
The Difficulty of Determining Lifespan
It’s always difficult to pin down exactly when any given piece of dental work will fail. The answer to that question is related to a variety of factors, including where it’s placed in the mouth and how well the patient takes care of it.
However, the situation is even more complex when it comes to dental crowns due to the wide variety of materials that they can be made out of. Each of these materials has its own advantages, and some are more durable than others.
Dental Crown Materials & Their Durability
A dental crown is essentially just a cap placed over the tooth, which means that there are several substances that they can plausibly be made out of. However, there are just a few that you’re actually likely to see in a dentist’s office nowadays:
- Porcelain-Fused-to-Metal: Until recently, this was the most popular style of dental crown, mixing the beauty of porcelain with the durability of metal. These dental crowns tend to last anywhere from 5-15 years. However, it’s common for gum recession in older patients to expose the metal on the crown, which may make them want to replace the crown sooner than that.
- Zirconia: This is an incredibly strong white ceramic closely related to titanium. It’s one of the priciest styles of dental crown, but they both look incredible and last for a remarkably long time. They easily last 10-15 years, and can even endure for a lifetime.
- Gold: Gold crowns obviously aren’t going to fool anybody into thinking they’re real, and they’re usually the most expensive style of dental crown. However, what they lack in aesthetics they make up for in durability—gold crowns routinely last longer than 20 years!
About the Author
Dr. Jon Kirlough’s passion for being a dentist comes down to one thing: people. He loves being able to form personal relationships with his patients and restore their smiles back to perfect health. Dr. Kirlough received his dental degree from The Ohio State University College of Dentistry before joining the US Navy Dental Corps. He served for three years, earning a Meritorious Unit Commendation, a Navy Achievement Medal, and the title of Lieutenant Commander in the process.
If you have any questions about dental crowns, he can be reached at his website or by phone at (440) 234-2445.