Dental crowns have been a very popular treatment for a long time, but over the years they’ve changed considerably. By far, the most significant shift has been in the materials that they’re made of. For a long time, dental crowns were made of metal—however, in modern dentistry, they’re typically made of some kind of ceramic.

If you have a metal dental crown, it may be worth taking the time to upgrade it into a more modern version. Here are a few reasons why that’s the case.

Tooth decay is one of the most common oral health problems that any dentist will have to deal with, which is why it’s no surprise that there are several ways to handle it. Both dental crowns and dental fillings are able to deal with cavities, and both are well within most dentists’ areas of expertise.

However, if you’re someone who needs one of these restorative treatments, you might not necessarily know the difference between them. That can make it hard to decide which one is best for you. If you’re in that position, here’s what you should know about how to contrast the two procedures.