Zirconia Crowns

Dental crowns are commonly used along with implants to replace missing or decayed teeth and also be used in dental bridges and partial dentures as anchors. Traditionally crowns are made of stainless steel, porcelain and gold. Porcelain crowns offer a more natural appearance but are more prone to chipping due to lack of strength. Gold crowns are expensive, and have an unsightly appearance Zirconia crown is a relatively newer ceramic material that marries the strength of metals with the natural look of porcelain, for a more esthetic dental restoration and is thus becoming increasingly popular. Zirconia crowns can be milled in the dental office and fixed on the same day, while other crowns are typically made in a dental lab.

Types and Indications:

Some dentists prefer zirconia over all-ceramic restorations especially in single tooth restorations. Crown can be fabricated from solid opaque zirconia, high translucent zirconia or layered zirconia. Solid zirconia, or monolithic zirconia, is opaque, durable, withstands chewing and grinding forces which is why it’s generally recommended for posterior crowns. This material is particularly suitable for patients who may have a habit of grinding their teeth. Since the clearance required for the restoration is minimal there is low wear on opposing teeth.

• Layered zirconia is more translucent and opalescent and it is especially suited for anterior crowns. It can also be used for posterior crowns if there is sufficient clearance.
• Zirconia HT (High-translucent )vibrant zirconia is suitable for bridges up to 3 units in length as it is strong, naturally esthetic, matching perfectly the adjacent teeth in color. Chairside time can also be saved considerably since shading liquids, special glazing and drying are not necessary due to their inherent fluorescence.

Procedure:

On your dental appointment the images of the teeth and design of the crown are captured by the dentist with a scan.Scanned data is then uploaded into a computer with software that can design the crown. The dentist will check the correct amount of contact with adjacent and opposing teeth is in place before the crown is sent for milling, sintering and polishing. Sintering refers to baking at high temperatures to harden the Zirconium. The customised crown ensures a good fit that needs very little or no adjustments after cementing to the tooth. Milling unit carves a crown out of the block of zirconium material. The milled crown is placed in a furnace for strengthening and finally glazed to a smooth finish. The crown is ready for cementing or bonding in a single appointment and so called same day crown. Zirconia crowns can be cemented or bonded and are extremely durable.

• Smiline dental hospital, Hyderabad, India, offers traditional crowns and single-day crown restorations with CEREC® technology.

Benefits of Zirconia Crowns?

• They can be accurately matched to the color of a patient's natural teeth due to their translucency and the several shades availability
• Ability to mill a precision fit customised crown through CAD/CAM technology saves dentist time in adjustments and fixation and thus also patient comfort.
• Zirconium requires less tooth preparation than other materials. Due to the necessity to remove very little natural teeth, also tooth saving.
• It can be layered with porcelain, especially when used for anterior teeth further improving its aesthetic appearance and appeal.
• Zirconia crowns can be either bonded or cemented, offering dentists more options.
• Quick turn around possible with Zirconia crowns as they are made of prefabricated blocks.
• Zirconia is a special kind of ceramic material that is biocompatible, meaning it is well tolerated by even patients who are highly sensitive.Their smoothness prevents accumulation of plaque
• Since Zirconia crown is metal free, there is no darkening around the gingival area due to exposure of metal margins.
• Zirconium crown has low thermal conductivity and hence less sensitive to heat or cold.
• Better resistant to stains than ceramic or acrylic crowns.
• Modification in terms of shape and color are easy to achieve with a Zirconia crown.
• Durable. Zirconia is upto five times stronger than porcelain and so a great choice for patients with a history of fractured, cracked or fractured crowns made of other materials.

Disadvantages:

Very few downsides of Zirconium crown like the concern about wear of the opposing tooth due to the toughness and friction against the root of the tooth, Its durability, makes caries detection difficult but can be offset with frequent dental check ups. It is expensive but cost is variable from dentist to dentist. Limited translucence suits only posterior teeth.

The goal of Smiline dental hospital is to provide the most durable and time saving efficient restorations possible, while exceeding the aesthetic needs of the patient. At Smiline dental hospital we combine our 25+ years experience with the latest in dental technology to offer the best patient experience possible.If you are interested in a Zirconium crown or same day crown fill up our appointment form or call Smiline dental hospital to set up a consultation with our dental specialist.