Zirconia Crowns

When you have a damaged tooth that needs covering up or you need to save a portion of a tooth that’s had its nerves removed, you have a number of options. One of the most effective and common treatments is a dental crown. And you have even more choices in the types of materials that are used to make the crown. Zirconia is one option that may work for you, based on your goals, dental history and budget. Your Queens dentist has crowns that are made of natural-looking materials and can recommend the best for you.

Damaged, decayed and discolored teeth benefit greatly from crowns provided by your Queens dentist. And one of the newest dental crown options are those made from zirconia. It’s a metal that’s found in the titanium family and is used to make crowns that are durable, malleable and relatively quick to create.

Zirconia crowns combine the strength of metal with the natural appearance previously found only in ceramic or porcelain crowns. And they pose very few zirconia crown disadvantages. You also have the advantage of knowing a cosmetic dentist who also serves as your family dentist and can help you find the most affordable solutions so you can reap the benefits of a long-lasting zirconia crown.

Zirconia Dental Crowns Usefulness

Dental crowns cover teeth in order to restore a natural shape and improve the appearance of your teeth. You can choose from a variety of materials for your crown, ranging from resin and metal alloys to porcelain. Zirconia dental crowns are especially useful because:

• They’re shaped right in your Queens dental office. Very often, you can get a zirconia dental crown during one visit.
• Zirconia crown problems are rare, since they’re strong enough for chewing and grinding on back teeth.
• You can get your crown cemented or bonded in place.
• The material is closely matched to the color of your existing teeth.

According to Colgate.com, “The metal has become popular as a crown material, since it is supplied to dental offices in the form of a block, which is then milled by a computerized cutting machine (CAD CAM) into the shape of a tooth. Then, once it is fitted, it is cemented in the patient’s mouth.”

Additionally, zirconia dental crowns:

• Are translucent, but can be layered with more tooth-like material such as porcelain to further improve the crown’s appearance
• Are created from biocompatible material that won’t lead to risks of reaction after they’ve been cemented in place

Zirconia Crown Disadvantages

While there are many advantages of zirconia crowns, your CitiDental team fully explains the downsides before you make a final decision. Since the metal is opaque, it makes it difficult to exactly match teeth, more important for front teeth. An alternative for front teeth may be BruxZir crowns so you don’t have worry about that complication.

Additional zirconia crown disadvantages are few, but do include:

• Difficulty adjusting your bite because zirconia is so strong
• Abrasiveness that can lead to wear on teeth that are nearby and uncapped

Zirconia Dental Crowns Process

When you get traditional ceramic or metal dental crowns, you typically have to make multiple visits for each cap. First, there’s the crown prep when the tooth is filed down and an impression made. Then you go home to wait until the lab produces your crown. On your next visit, the crown is cemented on and fine-tuned to ensure your comfort.

While your cosmetic dentist may recommend two visits, it’s possible that you can undergo the entire process in one visit. Zirconia metals can be milled in the dentist’s office to form the perfect shaped tooth with the assistance of the computerized cutting machine. It’s then cemented and polished during the same appointment.

Zirconia Crown Problems

All dental procedures carry some level of risk for complications, however small. Those risks are greatly reduced when you rely on the expertise of your family dentist at CitiDental though. Zirconia problems that could arise include the possibility of:

• An allergic reaction to the numbing medication
• A reaction to the metal or other material used in the crown
• Needing a root canal if you develop an abscess in the tooth’s root

Zirconia crowns are extremely reliable, but other zirconia crown problems may arise, such as a crack or chip, although highly unlikely since the metal is so strong, unlike chipping common with porcelain crowns. Because they’re so durable, zirconia crowns can more quickly wear down adjoining teeth or the rest of the tooth left under the crown.

Zirconia Dental Crowns Care

Zirconia crowns feel just like your natural teeth. You take care of them with the same careful daily dental routines.  Brushing and flossing daily as well as bi-annual visits to your family dentist at CitiDental for checkups and cleanings ensure your crown’s vitality.

Zirconia crowns can last up to 15 years or even longer when you practice good oral habits. They even can be sustained for life. Talk to your dentist about affordable dentistry plans to help you afford the great results you can get to replace damaged teeth.