Zirconia vs Porcelain Crowns
The dental crown is a prosthetic tooth or tooth cap that is placed over a broken tooth, protecting and totally covering the tooth (or an implant). The goal is to effectively restore both aesthetic and chewing function for broken or missing teeth. Traditionally and historically, crowns have been made of metals such as gold, today, dental crowns with a metal structure are no longer used. All dental crowns are made of resistant materials without having to resort to the metal "heart". Two of the most commonly used materials for making dental crowns are:
- zirconia (the zirconia dental crown consists of a zirconium structure and an external ceramic coating. The zirconium part ensures durability and resistance to the dental crown, it is perfectly biocompatible, hypoallergenic, opaque, aesthetically very high yield);
- porcelain or ceramic (also called integral ceramic, all ceramic)
Zirconia Crowns
Zirconia is very hard and has a very high flexural strength. It is light in color and due to the lighter color, aesthetically and functionally flawless crowns can be produced for both the front and back teeth from this material.
Material properties
Zirconia is absolutely reaction-free, i.e. no traces are released into the organism. This means crowns made from it are completely biocompatible and less likely to cause a reaction in the body. This means they can also be used on patients who are sensitive to metals and other materials. In addition, zirconia is a high-strength material that is extremely resilient and long-lasting. Due to the transparency and color properties of the material, extremely aesthetic dentures can be made from zirconia, which can hardly be distinguished from natural teeth.
Advantages of zirconia crowns
The advantages of using zirconium oxide in dentistry are many. First of all it is possible to achieve the desired shade of white using an individual layering technique. In this way, the prostheses can be easily customized, guaranteeing a result very similar to the natural enamel of the patient's teeth. Furthermore, zirconium does not undergo any corrosion process, therefore it does not react with other metals or materials inside the mouth. Furthermore, its low thermal conductivity guarantees natural protection of the dental pulp from thermal stimuli. Being more a material with excellent biocompatibility, it is also suitable for prostheses in patients with allergies.
Boundaries of zircon
Even if the technology of zirconium processing makes almost everything possible today, there are also limits to it. Zirconium crowns may not be suitable for patients who grind or chew foreign objects. Zirconia crowns are also usually more expensive than other materials.
Porcelain Crowns
The porcelain (or ceramic) dental crown is composed of two sections: an internal framework made of metal, solid and particularly resistant, and an external coating composed entirely of porcelain.
Advantages of Porcelain crowns
The all-ceramic or porcelain crown not only offers a high degree of aesthetics when veneering teeth - its material is also particularly stable and can therefore withstand even high loads without any problems. This type of tooth crown is not only a visual, but also a functional imitation of your own teeth. Because they are difficult to distinguish from natural teeth, even by experts, all-ceramic crowns are also ideal for dentures in the area of both the front and back teeth. Porcelain crowns are very natural-looking and are less costly than zirconia crowns.
Disadvantages of Porcelain Crowns
The main disadvantage of porcelain crowns is that they are not as strong as other materials and are not well-suited for molars or back teeth. Additionally, sometimes after some wear, the metal core of the crown can become visible, which is not as aesthetically pleasing as other materials.