When you think of zirconia, you probably think of cubic zirconium engagement rings and jewelry. You think fake diamonds, not your teeth. But the fact of the matter is that zirconia is becoming more and more popular and useful in the dental industry, especially when it comes to crowns and dental implants.
Its Ideal Qualities
From strength to aesthetics, there are many advantages for choosing a zirconium crown over a gold or porcelain variant. Here’s why.
Durability
Zirconia is incredibly tough. As a fake diamond, it needs to be. It is essentially indestructible and can therefore withstand the normal wear and tear of your mouth. While porcelain might break easily, zirconia definitely will not. Since the crown comes directly from the crystal, it will be at least 5 times stronger than a porcelain crown while still being much slimmer.
Installation
Because of the way zirconia works as a material, it is easy to fit a zirconia crown onto a tooth. It requires less tooth removal and no metal fusing. And if the crown ever has to be removed, you will have a good portion of the original tooth underneath.
Aesthetics
While you are probably picturing a diamond tooth in your mouth, don’t worry—your crown won’t look like that. Why show off the fact that you’ve had dental problems in the past with a gold crown? Zirconium gives a bright and shiny look that is translucent enough to look like your natural teeth.
Customization
Even though it is really strong, zirconium is also very malleable. It is easy to modify its shape, size, and color, giving you a crown that matches your mouth perfectly.
Biocompatible
It’s important that anything that is becoming a permanent part of your body is able to work well inside of you. Zirconia is biocompatible, meaning that your body will not react negatively to it.
If you need a crown or a dental implant, come talk to Dr. Richard Winter today. We can help give your smile a zirconia crown that will look and feel natural forever.
