Dental crowns are grouped into the three classifications of restorative, cosmetic and protective. They are restorative, because they can salvage a tooth even if it's only the root that remains functional. They are cosmetic, because a lot of people pick them in order to have a sparkling smile. And, they are protective, because a crown that rests on top of a dental implant will defend neighboring teeth.

There are three different categories of Richmond dental crowns: metal, porcelain, and hybrid. Metal crowns can either be a combination of nickel, palladium, chromium, titanium or gold. These alloys give metals features that they don't have normally.

Alloys are made by blending two or more metals together. I mix up their qualities in order to develop a hybrid that is much more handy than if any one trait was used alone. I most prefer gold crowns.

Gold crowns are able to endure injury. Porcelain dental crowns are translucent, so they can be made to blend in with your natural teeth and can be placed in the front of the mouth.

When I apply hybrids, the metal is put at the point of contact where your natural tooth meets the crown. The porcelain is placed on the outside of the metal. That way, you get the strength of the metal crown and the aesthetic quality of the porcelain crown altogether.

The outlay for a Richmond dental crown made from these three materials will vary. Porcelain crowns cost approximately 20 percent more than gold crowns. Hybrid crowns, since they are the most flexible, are the ones that go up to the high mark. The gold on gold crowns, though a highly-prized metal, can be applied lightly while still maintaining the properties of gold. Hence, gold crowns are in the mid-range as far as price goes.