Porcelain

Some dental crowns are made completely of porcelain, which has been used for many years as a more cosmetic alternative to gold crowns. These crowns can possess a more natural translucency than porcelain bonded to metal crowns, but they sacrifice a lot of strength.

Although they can be very life-like in appearance, the overall strength of all-porcelain dental crowns is less than other types of crowns. While they can be a good choice for front teeth, due to the hefty chewing and biting forces that humans generate, all-porcelain dental crowns are not the best choice for back teeth.

In recent times, porcelains have been modified to improve their strength and appearance. This newer more modern material is generally called ceramic.