Advantages of Zirconia Crowns
Possessing many qualities, the zirconia crown is increasingly appreciated by patients. These crowns are increasingly popular because they provide some of the best aesthetic results. The advantages of zirconia crowns are well established over other materials such as those used for porcelain crowns.
So why choose the zirconia crown and what are its advantages?
Zirconium is one of the most requested materials because it allows good aesthetic and functional results to be obtained in the event of:
- Advanced oral disease: dental cavities and periodontal disease, which are infections or diseases that destroy tooth enamel and can even cause tooth loss when not treated in time
- Gingival removal. Gingival withdrawal is the cause of the loss of gum tissue. When patients smile, it looks like their teeth are longer or their gums have disappeared. These patients often have difficulty brushing their teeth properly, which leads to an accumulation of oral biofilm. Treatment with dental crowns allows patients to regain healthier teeth, more radiant health
- Zirconia is made from zirconium silicate. This silicate sand is washed, cleaned and calcined to obtain a 99 percent pure zirconium dioxide powder. This powder is sintered (heated under high pressure) to produce highly resilient ceramics. The material is characterized by high abrasion resistance and good chemical resistance. Zirconium oxide is used, among other things, as a prosthetic material - for hip joint implants, for example - or in dentistry for the manufacture of tooth-colored crowns, bridges and implants that should not contain metal. In the case of telescopic prostheses, primary telescopes can be made from zirconium oxide.
What are the properties of crowns made of zirconium oxide?
Crowns made of zirconia are generally permanent dentures, which are 100% metal-free, extremely robust, behave biologically neutral, and get along excellently with gums and mucous membranes. Due to their transparency in the mouth, zirconia crowns can hardly be distinguished from real teeth, even for dentists. Since the material is a poor conductor of heat and cold, discomfort due to temperatures is almost impossible, even if the patient already has metal crowns in his mouth. The crowned tooth root and the pulp are thus very well protected from thermal influences.
What types of zirconium crowns are there?
The fully veneered zirconia crown (veneer crown) consists of a milled zircon framework that is veneered with ceramic in layers by the dental technician. The natural tooth color is modeled exactly. The HT zirconium crown (HT = High Translucent) monolithically milled from a block of zirconium, whereby the zirconium block is selected beforehand according to the appropriate shade. After production, only the patient's individual tooth color is applied to the HT zirconium crown and baked
The main advantage of zirconia crowns is aesthetics. Their color mimics perfectly with that of the dental enamel of adjacent natural teeth, which is not the case with ceramic crowns.
They are also more resistant than ceramic or porcelain ones and last longer. They are also made in a bio-compatible material to avoid allergy.
Zirconium crowns are very hard and resistant. Crowns made from this material have a high flexural strength and can withstand heavy chewing loads, which is why they are very durable. An all-ceramic crown does not require a metal framework, so even with receding gums, no dark crown edge is visible on the gums. Zirconium crowns are color-stable and hypoallergenic, and plaque is difficult to adhere to the very smooth surface of the material. Due to its basic color properties and its transparency, which is similar to that of natural teeth, zirconium adapts perfectly to your own teeth aesthetically and can be very precisely matched to the individual tooth color with ceramic veneering or coloring.
What are the disadvantages of crowns made of zirconium oxide?
For the production of a zirconium crown, from the preparation and shade determination to the fitting of the finished crown in the dentition, 3–4 sessions at the dentist are required. Ceramic dentures can be unsuitable for notorious teeth grinding because of their brittle hardness. In the case of veneered ceramic crowns, small pieces of veneer may split off, known as "chipping". The costs for an all-ceramic restoration with zirconium oxide are very high thanks to the high-quality material and the elaborate production and must largely be borne by the patient themselves.
Consult your trusted dentist before starting treatment with dental crowns. He can give you detailed information and guide you in your choice, taking into account: the dental problems to be treated, the budget you have available in order to combine functionality and aesthetics.