Why choose ceramic over other materials?

Ceramic is chosen because light passes through it much as it does through natural enamel, so the crown looks like a tooth rather than a cap on one. Natural enamel is slightly translucent, which is why a real tooth never looks like a flat block of color. A crown with a metal core stops the light, so it can look opaque beside its neighbors even when the shade has been matched exactly. That difference matters most on the teeth that show when you talk and smile.

Will it show a dark line at the gum?

No — an all-ceramic crown has no metal in it, so there is nothing to show as a dark line at the gum. That line comes from the metal core used in older crown types. With ceramic all the way through, there is nothing under the surface to block light or show through. This is one of the main reasons ceramic is used for teeth that are visible.

Is ceramic strong enough for a back tooth?

Ceramic's strength is its appearance, so at the back of the mouth zirconia is usually the better answer. The back teeth carry the greatest chewing load, and nobody sees them when you smile. In some cases gold is still the right material there. The material is recommended tooth by tooth rather than as one choice for the whole mouth.

Restorative Dentistry

All Ceramic Crowns in Los Angeles

The one that disappears into the smile.

Ceramic is the material of choice when a crown has to look like the tooth it replaced. Smile LA Downtown Modern Dentistry makes them to match the color and translucence of your natural teeth.

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All-ceramic dental crowns beside dental instruments

Dr. Kourosh Yousefzadeh showing a patient a digital smile design on the wall screen

The material

Why ceramic for a front tooth

Natural enamel is slightly translucent — light passes into it and scatters, which is why a real tooth never looks like a flat block of color. Ceramic behaves the same way. A crown with a metal core cannot, because the metal stops the light dead, and the result reads as opaque beside its neighbors even when the shade has been matched exactly. That difference is easy to miss in a photograph and obvious across a table, which is why it matters most on the teeth that show when you talk. It is also why we take the shade with the tooth in front of us rather than from a chart: translucence has to be matched as carefully as color, and the two are not the same judgment. Everything else — the fit, the bite, the way it is cemented — is the same as any other crown.

Metal-free

Nothing under the ceramic to block light or show as a dark line at the gum.
Matched to your teeth

Color and translucence both, which is why we take the shade with the tooth in front of us.
Biocompatible

The same argument that applies to tooth-colored fillings over amalgam.

Where it stops

Where another material may be better

Ceramic’s strength is its appearance. At the back of the mouth, where the load is greatest and nobody sees the tooth, zirconia is usually the better answer, and in some cases gold still is. We recommend per tooth rather than per patient.

How it is made and fitted

The same four steps as any crown: consultation, preparation of the tooth, digital impressions, and placement. See dental crowns for the process in full, and crowns and bridges for how crowns compare with bridges.

A patient standing with Dr. Kourosh Yousefzadeh after treatment

The short answer

An all-ceramic crown is a metal-free cap made entirely of dental ceramic that covers a damaged tooth and, because light passes through it much as it does through natural enamel, looks like a tooth rather than a cap on one. The tooth is prepared, digital impressions are taken, and the finished crown is matched to the color and translucence of the teeth beside it before it is placed. It is the usual choice for a tooth that shows when you smile, while zirconia or gold is often better at the back of the mouth where chewing load is greatest.

All Ceramic Crowns FAQ

Why choose ceramic over other materials?: Ceramic is chosen because light passes through it much as it does through natural enamel, so the crown looks like a tooth rather than a cap on one. Natural enamel is slightly translucent, which is why a real tooth never looks like a flat block of color. A crown with a metal core stops the light, so it can look opaque beside its neighbors even when the shade has been matched exactly. That difference matters most on the teeth that show when you talk and smile.
Will it show a dark line at the gum?: No — an all-ceramic crown has no metal in it, so there is nothing to show as a dark line at the gum. That line comes from the metal core used in older crown types. With ceramic all the way through, there is nothing under the surface to block light or show through. This is one of the main reasons ceramic is used for teeth that are visible.
Is ceramic strong enough for a back tooth?: Ceramic’s strength is its appearance, so at the back of the mouth zirconia is usually the better answer. The back teeth carry the greatest chewing load, and nobody sees them when you smile. In some cases gold is still the right material there. The material is recommended tooth by tooth rather than as one choice for the whole mouth.
Will it match my other teeth?: Yes — an all-ceramic crown is matched to the teeth around it in both shade and translucence. The shade is taken with your tooth in front of the dentist rather than from a chart. Translucence has to be matched as carefully as color, and the two are separate judgments. That is what lets the crown sit beside natural teeth without reading as a flat block of color.