Zirconia Marina Del Rey
Full ceramic and zirconia crowns are a cosmetic alternative to porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns. These crowns have a translucency that metal crowns cannot achieve, resulting in a natural-looking restoration.
Zirconia crowns are not only aesthetically superior in many people’s opinion, but they also boast more robust durability and strength. They are long-lasting and biocompatible, which makes them ideal for people who may be concerned about metal allergies. Zirconia is the hardest known ceramic and the strongest material used in dentistry, making these crowns practically indestructible.
Zirconia Crowns Look and Feel Like Real Teeth
Zirconia is the go-to choice for patients who desire natural-looking dental crowns. While this ceramic alloy is naturally white, it can also be color-matched to the patient’s teeth to prevent new crowns from appearing out of place. Once a zirconia crown is installed, it’s nearly indistinguishable from the patient’s natural teeth.
This also applies to how a zirconia crown feels: once it’s emplaced and the surrounding tissues recover, most patients don’t report feeling anything out of the ordinary.
Dentist's Notes
In the before photos (top), teeth discoloration and crowding of the lower back teeth are evident in the patient’s smile. An overbite is visible as well as evidence of a grinding habit that caused the lower front teeth to shorten in length.
Treatment includes opening the bite, making the patient’s front teeth slightly bigger, and lengthening the lower front teeth. This was a full mouth reconstruction case involving zirconia crowns which are showcased by the after photos (bottom). The patient was also prescribed a nightguard to prevent or limit further damage.
Zirconia Crowns Are Extremely Durable
Because zirconia is incredibly durable, it won’t bend—a problem some patients experience with metal crowns. Zirconia crowns are also notably stronger than traditional porcelain crowns, which can be prone to chipping or shattering.
Moreover, zirconia is nearly impervious to staining and discoloration; however, that’s not an excuse to become lax regarding dental hygiene. It’s still important to brush and floss regularly because zirconia crowns do not make gums and remaining teeth invulnerable to dental caries and other issues.
Dentist's Notes
Here, the patient had a bicycle accident that broke a filling and led to discoloration of the upper front teeth. Our diagnosis was that recurrent decay occurred or worsened beneath existing large fillings. The tooth decay was properly treated before zirconia crowns were emplaced overall top front teeth.
