For the past eight or nine years I have been using a Procera crowns for some patients, in lieu of porcelain fused to metal crowns, in situations where my patients needed a sturdy and a great looking restoration. These crowns look good even when illuminated with light. Shinning a light, or going out in bright natural daylight, can make some crowns look unnatural and ‘dead’ (opaque) looking. I have found Procera crowns to be a better aesthetic alternative to porcelain fused to metal restorations. Not only do they look good, but I have also had a very low failure rate with them. The restorations seem to hold up very well and since there is no metal to hide, the margins for these crowns do not have to be placed as far underneath the gums as the margins of porcelain fused to metal crowns. Even when the gums receed, no ‘grey’ line is seen.
Recently I have started using a new brand of metal free cementable crowns called Lava designed by 3M. In my opinion, the fit, color and the marginal adaptation of this restoration is superior to Procera. I have been using this type for about one year, I have no personal data on the long term failure rate so far, but in my opinion these crowns appear to be the best cementable crowns available.
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| Lava Crown on model | Lava Crown in mouth |