Advantages of the PFM
Posted on 08/18/2011
The PFM (porcelain fused to metal) restoration continues to be the most popular restoration type prescribed by dentists. Even with the surge in All Ceramic materials, the PFM has a long and tested history and remains the mainstay of our industry. Undoubtedly, this may change in the future as dentists adopt intra oral scanners and demand for CAD/CAM milled restorations increases. However, for the current time the PFM still provides some key advantages over other materials:
1. Flexibility: Metal understructure is adaptable to virtually any type of case. PFMs can be contoured with metal rest seats, metal contacts, metal occlusals, metal linguals, removal arms, screw retained implant crowns, metal arm extensions and of course all sorts of attachments. This is not possible with all ceramic materials.
2. Preparation: PFM preparation allows for a knife edge, chamfer, chamfer with bevel and of course the shoulder, shoulder bevel.
3. Shade: Adjustments to shades are possible. Unlike all ceramic restorations, if the shade is wrong for a PFM, the porcelain can be stripped and a new shade of porcelain can be applied. Most pressed all ceramics are pressed using shaded ingots, which means that changing the shade often requires starting the case over from scratch.
4. Cost: Although the price of noble and high noble alloys is at record levels, non-precious PFMs continue to be the least expensive restoration type with a durability that may exceed any all ceramic.
1. Flexibility: Metal understructure is adaptable to virtually any type of case. PFMs can be contoured with metal rest seats, metal contacts, metal occlusals, metal linguals, removal arms, screw retained implant crowns, metal arm extensions and of course all sorts of attachments. This is not possible with all ceramic materials.
2. Preparation: PFM preparation allows for a knife edge, chamfer, chamfer with bevel and of course the shoulder, shoulder bevel.
3. Shade: Adjustments to shades are possible. Unlike all ceramic restorations, if the shade is wrong for a PFM, the porcelain can be stripped and a new shade of porcelain can be applied. Most pressed all ceramics are pressed using shaded ingots, which means that changing the shade often requires starting the case over from scratch.
4. Cost: Although the price of noble and high noble alloys is at record levels, non-precious PFMs continue to be the least expensive restoration type with a durability that may exceed any all ceramic.
