A patient needs a replacement anterior crown and previously had visible metal at the margin of a porcelain-fused-to-metal restoration. Which material choice BEST addresses this specific complaint?

Correct answer: C. An all-ceramic (zirconia or lithium disilicate) crown

• A. A full gold crown has excellent mechanical properties but is entirely unacceptable aesthetically in the anterior region.
• B. Veneering resin over an existing failing crown is a temporary cosmetic patch that does not address the underlying problem.
• C. Correct. An ALL-CERAMIC restoration eliminates the metal substructure altogether, so there is no opaque core and no grey line at the cervical margin now or after future recession. It also transmits light more naturally. Lithium disilicate offers the best aesthetics for anterior single units; monolithic zirconia offers greater strength where occlusal loading or parafunction is a concern.
• D. Repeating the PFM design reproduces exactly the problem the patient is complaining about — the metal substructure and the risk of a visible dark margin with future recession.