Zirconia crowns are becoming increasingly popular, and they have some benefits.
- Strength
Durability and strength are two of zirconia’s most outstanding features. Think about how much pressure your back teeth apply to chewing food. Zirconia could be a suitable option for crowns inside the rear of your mouth if you need them to be constructed of sturdy material. Additionally, a dentist won’t need to prepare your tooth as extensively since zirconia is so tough.
- Longevity
A 2017 randomized controlled experiment reported in the Journal of Dentistry found that zirconia-based crowns performed equally well over five years as metal-based crowns. Furthermore, monolithic zirconia crowns, a type of zirconia crown, are remarkably resilient.
- Biocompatibility
Many dentists prefer zirconia because of its biocompatibility, meaning means it is less likely to cause the body to react or mount an immune response like inflammation.
- The same-day process
Dentists in-office can often create Zirconia crowns rather than having an image of your teeth sent to a lab. The crown can then be permanently affixed to your teeth during a medical appointment. Computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacture (CAD/CAM) technology is used in the CEREC, aka Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics, the procedure to expedite this process. The dentist uses the dental milling machine to create the crown from a piece of zirconia. By using this method, the requirement for two trips to complete the treatment is avoided. However, only some dental practices sell zirconia crowns or have this technology on hand.
Adverse effects of wearing a zirconia crown
A zirconia crown may come with possible drawbacks, like several other dental procedures.
- It is often challenging to match.
One potential drawback is a zirconia crown’s opaque aspect, which can make it appear unnatural. Although it might be less of a problem for teeth in the rear of your mouth, this is mainly the case regarding monolithic zirconia crowns, etc., that are constructed entirely of zirconia.
- Possible wear on additional teeth
Due to concerns that the zirconia’s hardness can damage neighboring teeth, several dentists have been cautious about utilizing zirconia crowns in specific situations.