Zirconium crowns are the latest development in the field of dental prosthetics used by dentists all over the world. The structure consists of two elements: a zirconium frame and a porcelain enamel outer coating. This structure of the product makes it highly durable and aesthetic.
During the manufacture of crowns, a 3D model of the patient’s jaw is created, and then the prosthesis itself. On the basis of these data, the milling unit cuts out the structure frame from a zirconium blank. Therefore, inaccuracies in prosthetics are excluded: the crown ideally repeats the shape and size of the native tooth and adheres closely to it and the gum.
Hypoallergenic. Zirconium is the most biocompatible and hypoallergenic material used in prosthetics. Not a single case of rejection or negative reactions from the body has been recorded when using it.In addition, zirconium crowns are often perceived by the human body as bone tissue, since their physical and chemical properties are very similar.Minimum thickness. The thickness of zirconium crowns is from 0.3 to 0.4 mm (for comparison: for metal-ceramic crowns – from 1.5 to 2 mm), which means that the doctor grinds the tooth only a little to install them. In this case, the risk of developing inflammatory processes is minimized.
Strength. Zirconium oxide crowns are 30 times stronger than ceramics. Thanks to this, they are placed not only on the front but also on the chewing teeth.
Natural look. Due to the effect of translucency, the color of zirconium crowns exactly matches the color of natural enamel, so they look as natural as possible. They are resistant to staining with food dyes, do not change color depending on the lighting. They also do not oxidize, do not have a darkening in the area between the gum and the tooth, like cermets.
Since zirconium oxide prostheses are much thinner than cermets, they raise some concerns about their durability in patients. The subtlety, even “openwork”, refers only to external, subjective impressions: the strength of zirconium is compared with gold, and the service life of crowns made of this material is at least 15 years.
Do zirconia crowns have disadvantages?
The material itself and its structures have no shortcomings. All disadvantages relate to related points:
– increased requirements for equipment ( it has nothing to do with a patient, dental office or dental lab will take care about it);
– the complexity of manufacturing ( it has nothing to do with a patient, dental office or dental lab will take care about it);