The difference between porcelain crowns and dental implants:

Are porcelain crowns and dental implants the same thing?

The difference is that dental implants have a tooth root, while porcelain crowns do not.

How dental implants are done:An artificial metal "tooth root" is implanted into the jawbone, and once the root and jawbone have stabilised, a porcelain crown is placed on top. The tooth of a dental implant can basically replace the function of a natural tooth and does not need to rely on other teeth.

How porcelain crowns are done:A porcelain crown body or porcelain crown bridge is made by grinding down the two teeth on either side of the tooth that needs repairing and fitting porcelain crowns over them. After repair, the tooth needs to rely on the neighbouring healthy teeth to carry out actions such as chewing.

The advantage of a dental implant having a root is that it stands alone as an individual, just like a natural tooth, and if implanted and maintained well, it will last a relatively long time.

A porcelain crown repairs the entire missing tooth and needs to rely on the teeth it is fitted over in order to function normally, so the pressure it places on the neighbouring teeth is relatively great.

How do the prices of porcelain crowns and dental implants compare?

Since porcelain crowns and dental implants are not the same, their prices differ as well. Because it includes two parts, the implant body and the porcelain crown, a dental implant costs more than a porcelain crown.

The reason dental implants are expensive is mainly that the artificial root of a dental implant is made of the metal titanium, and titanium is a metal with better compatibility with human tissue.

In addition, after impressions are taken, porcelain crowns basically all need to be sent to an external manufacturer for processing, and the doctor's remaining work is installation and adjustment, whereas dental implants require quite a few examinations and then the root being driven into the jawbone. To a certain extent, dental implants require a relatively high level of skill, which also to some extent drives up the price of dental implants.

Furthermore, porcelain crowns are already a fairly common dental cosmetic procedure, while dental implants are still a relatively high-end dental cosmetic treatment. Although they are already fairly commonly used in countries such as Europe and the United States, they have not been introduced into our country for long and are not widely popular, and many people still do not have a full understanding of dental implants.

Which is better, a porcelain crown or a dental implant?

After the above introduction, many patients will surely think that porcelain crowns are not as good as dental implants, and that although implants are a bit more expensive, they should still go for implants. In fact, this way of thinking is also one-sided. Whether to have a dental implant or a porcelain crown depends on the patient's own situation; it is not necessarily true that a dental implant is definitely better.

In the case of a single missing tooth, if the tooth root is still retained, the repair time is relatively short, the patient can immediately use the repaired tooth, and in terms of price it is relatively affordable. If the tooth root is gone, a dental implant can be considered.

For multiple missing teeth, whether to do an implant or a porcelain crown needs to be decided based on the patient's wishes and actual situation. Although using dental implants is better, the cost is high. If the conditions for a porcelain crown are also good and the patient can maintain it well, a porcelain crown can also be done.

In addition, for the repair of front teeth and the front row of teeth, since they do not need to bear very much pressure and are not used for biting hard objects, porcelain is also very good. As for the relatively large teeth at the back, it is still better to have dental implants.

A friendly reminder: for the treatment of missing teeth, you must choose a professional dental hospital and choose the tooth implant that suits you, so as to ensure the safety of the procedure and the postoperative results.