Kingsport, TN
Zirconia restorations are strong, durable, and provide true-to-life aesthetics for your smile. Although original zirconia restorations were challenging to create because their bone-white color was difficult to manipulate without adding bulk, advances in dental technology now allow zirconia restorations to be suitable for any location in the mouth. Unfortunately, several myths about zirconia use in dental restorations are circulating. Therefore, the dental lab professionals at Premier Dental Arts bust the myths and share how to avoid falling for the pitfalls of zirconia crowns.
What is zirconia?
Zirconia comes from zirconium dioxide and is a white, powdered metal oxide belonging to the titanium family. Zirconia is a common element in household items such as pipes, electrical fixtures, or dinnerware. Found all over the world, zirconia boasts strength and durability, making it an ideal solution for metal-free dental crowns. In addition, our dental lab experts further explain that zirconia crowns are strong enough to withstand the intense biting pressures posterior crowns experience when chewing food.
Myth #1: Every zirconia material is precisely the same
Zirconia is a flexible component that changes depending on processing requirements and chemical composition. Fortunately, our professional dental lab technicians explain that zirconia’s flexibility can help you create the perfect crown for each patient. For example, solid zirconia is robust and contains more stabilizers compared to high translucent zirconia. Therefore, it is more beneficial for posterior teeth, especially since it’s opaque. On the other hand, high translucent zirconia Is more suitable for anterior teeth, closely resembling natural tooth aesthetics.
Myth #2: Natural-looking zirconia crowns sacrifice strength
Unlike porcelain, zirconia offers superior durability and strength to withstand bite pressures without chipping, as it’s three times stronger than porcelain or other PFM restorations. Fortunately, new monolithic zirconia, or single solid blocks of zirconia, can generate a nearly unbreakable crown type built to withstand the back of the mouth environment that endures harsh conditions better than porcelain crowns. In addition, our experienced dental lab pros advise dentists that zirconia is a material that can match your patient’s tooth color, shape, and size, providing a discreet dental treatment.
Myth #3: Zirconia looks unnatural in a smile
Traditional porcelain fused to metal crown treatments has an underlying metal layer below the top porcelain layer. Unfortunately, the metal lining can be visible near the gumline and seen when patients smile, potentially resulting in embarrassment. Our qualified dental lab techs explain that zirconia crowns completely avoid metal linings, which helps the patient smile confidently. Moreover, our dental lab can manipulate zirconium restorations to match the size, color, or shape of the patients surrounding teeth, creating a seamless red carpet-worthy smile.
Zirconium restorations show successful results after years of dental industry use. Although PFM treatments remain, zirconia harbors far more benefits than traditional treatments, and it’s steadily rising as a front-runner in restoration dentistry. If you have questions about zirconia or would like to find out more facts, feel free to contact our knowledgeable dental lab technicians at Premier Dental Arts for more information. Call us at (888) 732-5221 or contact us online for professional assistance.