Zirconia Crowns
Dentists and sculptors have been making dental crowns for centuries out of various substances, from gold to porcelain to resin. Today, you might step out of the chair with a zirconia crown.
This relatively new material blends the strength of metals with the natural look of porcelain and is becoming increasingly popular for all kinds of tooth repairs.
Advantages of Zirconia Crowns
Zirconia has some distinct advantages as a material for crowns:
- It can be matched to the color of existing teeth.
- It is extremely strong, requiring less tooth preparation than other materials.
- It can be layered with porcelain, further improving its aesthetic appearance.
- Zirconia crowns can be bonded or cemented, giving your dentist more options.
- Zirconia has the ability to be “milled” or shaped in the dental office. In other words, your crown might be made and delivered in one appointment, possibly saving you time and expense!
- This material is biocompatible, meaning it doesn’t cause adverse reactions when implanted in the human body.
Disadvantages of Zirconia Crowns
A zirconia crown does, however, have some disadvantages. Even though it’s closer to a natural tooth color than gold, it is very opaque, making it difficult to match the shade of highly visible teeth in the front of the mouth. Zirconia is also so strong that it can be difficult for your dentist to adjust it to even out your bite and so abrasive that it can accelerate the wear on an opposing uncapped tooth.
