Zirconia Crowns - The Modern Dentistry Marvel

Dental Crowns is something that most of us have or atleast know of someone who has it. A crown is one of a staple dentistry solution that helps patients with many issues that they may have such as disfigured teeth, misshapen teeth, broken tooth, fractured tooth or rotten tooth. These are some of the most common kinds of problems that plague human beings and our teeth and Crowns have become one of the most effective solutions for this. A crown just as the name specifies, sits on top of the original tooth once it is shaved down by the dentist after repairing the tooth of any damage that it might have had. There are so many different kinds of crowns in the market these days but Zirconia crowns have risen to popularity ever since it was introduced.

Zirconia Crowns | Introduction

Zirconia is simply Zirconium Oxide which is the base material that makes up these crowns. Of all the other crowns in the market, Zirconia crowns are the most popular and chosen by patients worldwide. The reasons are numerous but perhaps the fact that they are so similar to the natural teeth color is the prominent reason why more and more people are drawn to it. Zirconia crowns have been in existence for not very long. They were first introduced in the early 2000s as dentists started to experiment with newer materials with the new technological aids that were introduced in the world of dentistry. New kinds of technical equipment made it easy for dentists to work with powder-based substances such as Zirconium Oxide, which eventually gave rise to the invention of Zirconia Crowns.

Zirconia crowns are biocompatible and are very flexible in nature making them extremely useful as dental crowns. They are completely organic which is why they are the best type of crowns for those who have metal allergies and those who want to avoid metals in their mouth. Their biocompatible nature made them easier on patients as there were hardly any cases of reaction or allergy post-restoration. Perhaps the most notable feature of Zirconia crowns is the fact that they have translucent nature which can easily be color-matched with the patient's unique enamel. This is the reason why zirconia restorations look very much like the patient's own tooth. Zirconia crowns are slowly becoming popular for anterior restorations as pediatric zirconia crowns because of their aesthetic appeal for children. Stainless steel crowns are preferred for posterior restorations as children get their new teeth soon enough.

Zirconia Crowns | Restoration

Zirconia has many benefits over the other kinds of dental crowns such as Metal crowns, Porcelain fused to metal crowns, all-ceramic crowns etc. Restorations using a Zirconia Crown are similar to restorations made with its counterpart Ceramic Crowns. Zirconia crowns are very malleable and therefore can easily be pressed and made into crowns and bridges for dental purposes. Their incredibly flexible nature makes them perfect to make any kind of restorations as they can easily be contoured and fit into the patient’s existing teeth alignment. It takes the natural color and form of the other teeth and therefore becomes mostly unrecognizable post-restoration.

To make Zirconia crowns, most dental offices and labs use CAD and CAM machines. Special equipment is used to extract the crown from a block of Zirconium oxide and to create the shape of a crown. This is completely controlled by computers and technical machines. Once the shape of a tooth is obtained, the dental labs use software such as CAD and CAM to obtain the intended shape and size. The designs generated are then used by a dental milling machine that helps in obtaining the perfect crowns by carving them out of a block of a zirconium oxide.

The process may take not more than 2 days and sometimes with the best of equipment, zirconia crowns can be made and delivered within a day as well. This eliminates the waiting time of getting a crown ready which is the longest process when it comes to patients who come in for root canals or other kinds of restorations. Once the restoration is ready, they are fit to the patients teeth by manual adjustments and corrections by the dentist by contouring the edges.

Zirconia Crowns | After Care

Like any other kind of dental restoration, zirconia crowns need to be cared for. Oral hygiene is paramount after having a dental restoration so as to avoid any kinds of bacterial infection or plaque buildup. The teeth beneath the crown are usually susceptible to infections and other issues therefore, brushing twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste is necessary. Regular mouthwash with a good antibacterial solution can help in preventing any kind of bacterial infection and get rid of any plaque accumulation. Patients need to be careful when they use floss, floss can help in getting teeth extra clean but needs to be done with care around the tooth that has been recently restored.

Zirconia crowns as such have a good life and need minimum maintenance, which makes it one of the best choices for a dental crown restoration.

Why Zirconia ?

Zirconia has been used in dentistry for years and is prized for its strength, biocompatibility, and esthetic qualities.

Posterior design

• Flat internal occlusal surface with retentive boxes for easy preparation and strong retention.
• Thin uniform axial thickness for less tooth reduction.
• 24 total anterior crown sizes and 64 total molar sizes to fit any tooth.
• Sandblasted internal surface greatly increases adhesion to the tooth.
• Beautiful esthetics with Vita A1 shade with the translucency and contours of natural teeth.
• User friendly universal numbering system for simple and reliable identification.

Anterior design

• Bilateral design allows for less inventory needed.
• Sandblasted internal surface for high adhesion and retention of the crown.
• User friendly Universal Numbering System.
• Beautiful translucency and contours of a natural tooth.

Sterilization technique

Acero Z1 crowns can be sterilized in a steam autoclave.