[TokyoTessie]

Don't try to crack a closed pistachio nut with your porcelain crowned molar: nut 1 crown 0. Fortunately for me, my dentist replaced it for free, it was under warranty or something, it happened a few weeks after I got it.

[pnw.hiker]

Two crowns. One after a root canal, the other on a live tooth. Upper molars. Both gold with porcelain overcoat. Still perfect after ten and twenty years.

[Washakie]

If you are under 50 yrs old, go with gold. If you are getting up in years (or you don't chew the food you eat) almost any of the alternatives are acceptable.

[Bedivere]

I've had three crowns in the last 7 years or so and will need a 4th one soon, all on molars, all lower and the latest one upper. Same dentist did all of them, all of them porcelain, no root canals (yet.) Honestly, I didn't know there were different kinds of porcelain crowns, just knew there was gold and ceramic. I asked about the gold and my dentist assured me that the porcelains were fine and a lot less expensive. So far, no problems though one is on a tooth that's cracked vertically down to the root so that one may need a root canal eventually but it doesn't bother me unless I bite down hard on that side.

[SusanHikes]

Gold on top but not on the bottom. The gold has more give but (for most) isn't as visually appealing and is often more expensive. Kind of gives you the best of both worlds. That's what my dentist recommended and I've been pleased. After braces, jaw surgery, etc. I ask a lot of questions and am willing to pay a bit more to make sure things are done well.

[forest gnome]

my friggin dentist wanted 1200 for the crown....after the 950 root canal....now I hav a hot brazillian dentist at community health center....and the crown is going to cost 725$ total.... anyway THANK SO MUCH ALL RESPONDED here for the information...wow is that a sentance?

[Dante]

[reststep]

[hiker1]

Several crowns... one reason I'm poor. Gold crowns are not made entirely of gold, they're some kind of amalgam i think, so should not be too expensive. Most of mine are "gold". Dentist says everyone who eats hard food of any kind slowly creates tiny cracks in their teeth, that slowly build up until: tooth breaks. His advice: do not eat hard food of any kind. No nuts, no uncooked veggies, no hard chocolate, etc etc. Buy a blender and use it if you need to eat what would otherwise be hard food.