Question:

 

Hello.I have cerebral palsy.I have a few metal crowns.over time my bite has become off and I ground at night.I didn't take care off this right away like I should have and now my teeth are severely worn.Do you think if I got posts and metal crowns they would last in my mouth?the few crowns I have seem to have done well over time.would the new zirconia crowns be as durable as the metal? Thank you for your time and consideration. Kurt

Answer:

 

Hi Kurt,

 

This unfortunately is a very loaded question that I cannot give you a good answer for the following reasons:

1. Posts do not make teeth stronger...they more less help hold in the foundations that the crowns sit on so they are more for retention, not strength.

2. There are crowns with different properties for different situations, so it is hard to say what is best for you as there many things that need to be evaluated such as:
1. Cavities present?
2. What kind of bite do you have?
3. Condition of existing crowns?
4. How heavy you grind?

These are several questions that would need to be answered before telling you what kind of crowns you need. Having said that, zirconia crowns are showing promise in strength and certainly have esthetic advantages over metal crowns but they are not indicated in all situations. I would recommend getting evaluated to further determine this.

 

Good luck!
Dr.Glasmeier