Dental Crowns
Zirconia Crowns
At Artistic Dentistry, Zirconia restorations have been used successfully for years and provide patients with excellent strength, durability, and true-to-life esthetics. Today’s patients are requesting zirconia crowns over metal-based crowns because zirconia restorations provide strength and lifelike esthetics. Because zirconia crowns and bridges possess excellent esthetics and are virtually indestructible, zirconia is becoming the most popular material for making dental crowns and other restorations.
Advantages of Zirconia Crowns
Zirconia offers superior strength and durability for dental crowns. It is at least three times stronger than porcelain or PFM restorations. Unlike porcelain, zirconia can withstand wear and tear without chipping, which is why zirconia restorations tolerate extreme chewing and bruxism. This type of crown is nearly unbreakable and built to withstand the harsh environment the back of the mouth endures better than all-porcelain crowns.
Zirconia contains no metal lining at the gums. Porcelain fused to metal (PFM) crowns actually possess a metal layer underneath the porcelain layer at the top of the crown. This metal lining is usually visible at the gum line and can be seen when patients smile. This can be embarrassing for patients who want a natural looking smile. Zirconia crowns avoid the metal lining completely and allow patients to smile with confidence. Additionally, zirconia crowns can be manipulated to fit any size or shape to match the rest of a patient’s teeth.
Zirconia is even more durable than the conventionally used PFM ceramics. For instance, solid zirconia contains more stabilizers than PFM ceramics, making it more durable to withstand forceful chewing and grinding. If properly maintained, zirconia restorations can last a patient’s lifetime.
The high biocompatibility of zirconia will not cause allergies in patients who have allergic reactions to PFM restorations. Quite a few dental patients are allergic to the alloys used for the fabrication of PFM crowns. If a patient faces these allergies, this is a sign that zirconia should be used when making restorations. In fact, zirconia possesses excellent biocompatibility, making the crowns and bridges prepared from zirconia extremely safe for clinical use inside the mouth.
