Porcelain Fused to Ni-Cr Ceramic Alloy
Porcelain fused to metal crowns (or PFM crowns) can be referred to as full-cast crowns which has porcelain fused on most or all parts of the tooth. Metal alloys with a high melting temperature are used to fuse porcelain to the surface and preventing the metal from melting. This ensures the porcelain to bond without changing its color.
When the tooth is prepared for such crowns, a large part of the tooth tissue gets removed making space for porcelain as well as the metal.
Porcelain crowns are the most preferred crowns as they easily match the color of the adjacent teeth better than the metallic crowns. However, they cause more damage to the opposite teeth than the resin and metal crowns. Some cases show that the porcelain portion of the crown can also break or chip off from the teeth.
In receding gums, such crowns are not suitable as the porcelain can start showing distinctively. They are best suited for the back and front teeth.