Porcelain bonded crowns are tooth-coloured crowns which have a good track record and are very strong. Bonded crowns have a precious metal inner core, which gives the crown its strength, onto which porcelain is bonded, to make it look tooth-like. They are particularly useful for areas where there is high chewing force, for example to crown molars.
Bonded crowns have some aesthetic limitations in that the metal core has to be covered up with opaque porcelain. This can lead to a dull colour and poor light transmission through the crown. This isn’t generally an issue with back teeth, more so at the front. Also, sometimes the metal core is visible as a dark line above the crown, which can look unsightly. In this case, ceramic may be a preferable alternative as a crown material.