Dental alloys are used for a casting a range of restorations, copings, frames and more. These alloys can be composed of a range of noble, high noble and base metals, and each mixture offers different properties that can make one alloy ideal for a specific restorative situation and another alloy completely unsuited to the same task. Full contour crowns and bridges are most often case from noble and high noble metals such as gold and platinum, but these softer metals might not be suited for posterior crowns on a bruxing patient. A wider range of alloys can be used for casting copings and substructures for porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) restorations. It is important to coordinate the alloy and the ceramic systems being used for a PFM restoration. Casting dental alloys requires specific techniques with different alloys melting at different temperatures, so be sure to follow the protocols that deliver the best results for your lab.