Advantages of Zirconia Crowns
Dental crowns are a restoration used to repair a tooth with extensive decay but are also used with dental implants to replace missing or decayed teeth. Crowns are also used as anchors for dental bridges and partial dentures. Porcelain and gold are the more common materials used to fabricate crowns but another option is zirconia. Porcelain is a more natural look, but is also more prone to chipping. Gold is the least expensive but they cannot be tinted to match your teeth so is best for molars but can also produce negative allergic reactions. Zirconia crowns provide a great, natural look with no negative side effects.
What is Zirconium?
Zirconia is a type of crystal known for being long-lasting and indestructible. In addition to strength and durability, zirconia is also compatible with the human body, making it popular with the medical field.
Advantages of Zirconium
Longevity and Durability
Zirconia crowns often last longer than porcelain crowns because zirconia is more resistant to chipping and cracking while still looking just as natural. Zirconia is five times as strong as porcelain and the crowns are milled in a way that makes them nearly indestructible. They are also resistant to extreme hot and cold temperatures, which lowers the frequency of tooth hypersensitivity that can be common with other types of crowns.
Despite their strong structure, zirconia crowns can be easily shaped, sized and colored to match the natural teeth of the patient. It is thought that the malleable nature of zirconia can produce crowns that are shaped better than the original crown it replaces. The ability to create the perfect shape, size and color produces a better, more natural look.
Additionally, since zirconia is so strong, the crown can be fabricated with less material which in turn means that more natural tooth structure is retained. When a porcelain or gold crown is used, more organic tooth structure has to be removed to allow space for the crown. Not so with zirconia.
Biocompatibility
The body has a very high compatibility rate with porcelain and zirconia. This biocompatibility lowers the chance of infection, complications, pain, discomfort, and allergic reactions to the materials.
Aesthetics
Zirconium crowns are translucent, being made from crystal. The clear, translucent appearance of zirconium allows for the perfect tooth coloring that best matches the patient’s natural tooth color, better even than porcelain crowns.
Dental crowns are a common treatment with many options so each patient can get the best treatment and get the most out of their crown. Patients with metal allergies are great candidates for zirconia restorations and are able to achieve natural looking results. If you need a dental crown, speak with your dentist to learn about the options available to you. You and your dentist will work together to make sure that you have a beautiful, healthy smile!