"One thing I'll look at is the white stuff [non-metals] in restorative dentistry," he said during the opening of the Christensen Bottom Line 2011. "Does it perform as well as the gold stuff? I'll tell you candidly that it doesn't."
The shift in materials favored for dental crowns received particular focus during the first part of his talk. Dr. Christensen shared conclusions that his nonprofit product-testing facility in Provo, UT, had reached about many of them.
He had strong words for what he termed "this white crown business." Of them, he said, "metal crowns of the past are far superior."
Nonetheless, dental practitioners continue to embrace the newer materials. According to data from Glidewell Laboratories, "Metal is dying," Dr. Christensen said. Metal has gone from 12% of all crowns placed from 1997 to 2010 to 5.6% in the year 2010. Porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) crowns went from 72% to 49% in the same period. Meanwhile, all-ceramic and dental attachments went from 16% to 49.5%.
“We're getting back to our roots.”
— Gordon Christensen, DDS, MSD, PhD
His skepticism was plain as he deconstructed the reasons all-ceramic restorations are being chosen.
"The strength of some types appears to be better than in the past," Dr. Christensen said. "But I have a whole drawer of broken dental crowns. I keep them there to keep me humble."
Very interesting, so that's why most people have gold crowns when they come back from the dental lab. I'd always wondered why people didn't go with something that matched the teeth better. Thanks for the knowledge!
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