Advantages of Zirconia Crowns
If you have a tooth that is beginning to wear down, is chipped, or cracked, your dentist might suggest you consider capping it with a dental crown. Dental crowns are quite often used following root canals or with dental implants to replace missing teeth. They are also used to support traditional dental bridges and even partial dentures. Porcelain and gold have long been the materials of choice for dental crowns. Porcelain crowns will provide a more natural look but are more prone to chipping. Gold crowns, although strong, will not look natural and can stimulate allergic reactions.
Dental crowns can now also be made of zirconium. Zirconium crowns deliver a very natural look, are durable, and are not subjective to uncomfortable side effects.
What Exactly is Zirconium?
Zirconium is a strong type of crystal that has a variety of favorable qualities. Crystal is known for being long-lasting and indestructible. Zirconium is the same. Besides its strength and durability, zirconium is also quite compatible with the human body, making it popular in many medical applications.
The Primary Advantages and Benefits of Zirconia Crowns
The significant advantages and benefits of zirconium include:
* Durability- Made of crystal, zirconium is almost indestructible, easily withstanding your most aggressive biting and chewing. Zirconium has been proven to be five times stronger than porcelain. Zirconium crowns are milled in a fashion to enhance their indestructibility. They are resistant to extreme hot and cold temperatures, which will reduce your frequency of tooth hypersensitivity that can be common with other crown materials.
* Visually Pleasing- Zirconium crowns are translucent because they are made from crystal. The clear appearance of zirconium makes for the perfect tooth coloring that matches your natural teeth, better than porcelain crowns. No metal is needed either. Unlike porcelain crowns or gold crowns, zirconium crowns will not need to be fused with a metal base which makes these traditional crowns more obvious.
* Life Expectancy- In addition to their superb durability, zirconium crowns will also last longer than porcelain crowns. This is because zirconium is far more resistant to chipping and cracking.
* Biocompatibility- Since your body will not reject the zirconium, there is a lower chance of any infections, complications, pain, discomfort, and allergic reactions.
* Covers Tooth Damage- Zirconium is preferred over porcelain when covering up and hiding tooth damage caused by staining or fractures.
* Less Prep Work- It requires less enamel of the natural tooth to be removed. Usually, when a crown is placed, a reasonable layer of the original tooth is removed for the crown to fit properly. With the remarkable strength of the zirconium, it means that the crown is thinner. A thinner crown means less of the original tooth will need to be removed.
* Easy to Work With- It is easy to shape, modify, and match colors. Despite their strong structure, zirconium crowns can be easily shaped, sized, and colored to match your natural teeth. It has been suggested that the nature of zirconium crowns can produce crowns that are shaped better than the original natural tooth. The ability for your dentist to create the perfect shape, color, and size produces a more natural look for you.
Zirconium crowns give you the durability, feel, comfort, appearance, and security of natural teeth.
