What dental cap material lasts the longest? i'm not real concerned about what they look like, but i do want to choose the kind that last the longest.

Most : Most cast dental restorations are expected to last at least 10 years. All well fitting restorations can last much longer. But from a wear and tear standpoint, a full cast gold restoration has no chance of porcelain fracture, and the thin, adapted margins are very kind the the gum and bone tissue around the teeth.

It : It cetainly would be difficult to accept a front tooth capped in full gold, but if we are talking areas that are not of esthetic concern, gold will stand the test of time. Your timing is not very good as gold prices can make the procedure more costly.

Most : Most modern dental restorations (including caps, crowns, inlays) whether they are all porcelain, all cast metal, all zirconia or a combination (porcelain-metal, porcelain- zirconia) are durable if the lab the dentist uses is credible. The problem usually lies with the integrity of the underlying tooth that the crown is sitting on. The majority of caps i replace in my office is due to a "failed tooth" rather than a "failed cap". A failed root canal, localized gum disease or a cavity renders a tooth in need of repair, that is not solely a reflection of the cap. That being said, some low cost insurance caps and/or greed drive some dental offices to cut corners and use a sub-par lab, which will likely lead to a cap failing prematurely. To summarize, the material of the cap is not the only determining factor of longevity. Find a dentist who you could trust.