What is Zirconia?
Zirconia has been one of the most popular materials of choice in restorative dentistry for over 20 years. As an alternative to expensive gold crowns, zirconia is now a leading solution among restorative dentists. According to the American Dental Association (ADA), 99% of dentists use zirconia for natural dental prostheses.
Compared to other ceramics, zirconia fares better, offers more advantages, and is continually being developed to further improve performance.
Zirconia is a white crystalline mineral made from zirconium dioxide (Zr02) that combines metal’s strength with the aesthetic, tooth-like appeal of porcelain. The material is highly versatile due to its durability, biocompatibility, and aesthetics.
Zirconia can be used for various types of dental restorations, such as crowns, veneers, and implants.
Benefits of Zirconia
There are many benefits of zirconia–most notably its longevity, biocompatibility, and aesthetics.
Longevity
Zirconia is famously known as being one of the strongest ceramics from restorative dentistry. Being 10 times stronger than natural tooth enamel, it is extremely long lasting and considered to be virtually fracture-resistant.
Biocompatibility
Second to gold, Zirconia is the most biocompatible raw material for dentistry. Zirconia dental products are characterized by good mechanical properties, its chemical inertness, and superior non-corrosive properties. Moreover, the material effectively protects against plaque and inflammation, while providing seamless soft-tissue integration.
Aesthetics
In regard to aesthetics, the quality of zirconia varies depending on the fabrication method. However, the overall smoothness of zirconia is superior and its versatility allows the restorative technician to prioritize aesthetics over function–or vice versa.
Types of Zirconia
There are various types of Zirconia, including full-contour, layered, and in the form of millable discs. As the material varies, so does the flexural strength and cosmetic capabilities.
Full-contour solid or monolithic zirconia come in the form of millable blocks that are manufactured and designed exclusively with CAD/CAM technology. Restoration fabricated from 100% monolithic medical-grade zirconia exhibits high flexural strength of 1,100 to 1,200 MPa. Because of the digital workflow, monolithic zirconia requires less laboratory time and fewer dental sessions to get a good fit.
In addition, the layered variation consists of a zirconia coping with a porcelain overlay. A conventional framework design is used and finished with layers of porcelain, allowing the technician to achieve custom shading, characterization, and translucency where needed. However, strength comes at a cost when prioritizing aesthetics with this material. The average flexural strength is 200 MPa.
Lastly, esthetic milled zirconia prostheses are fabricated from digitally milling through multi-layered full-contour discs. The proprietary process allows for natural translucency, accurate shade-matching, and extraordinary flexural strength. Enhanced light-transmitting abilities, esthetic zirconia results in lifelike dental restorations that have an average flexural strength of 650 – 850 MPa.
Limitations of Zirconia
The biggest downside of zirconia is that the material itself is opaque, limiting translucency. The only way to get around this disadvantage is by compromising the strength by choosing layered zirconia. The material is not as solid as monolithic zirconia, but instead allows the technician to focus on providing a more life-like appearance.
Secondly, because zirconia is so smooth and strong, etching comes up as a frequent issue. Solid zirconia makes it difficult to etch and may require different prepping processes than usual.
Dental Lab Near Me
Looking for local dental labs that specialize in crown and bridge services? The Dental Lab is a leading dental lab in the United States. We deliver all over the nation with our fast and reliable shipping services, making us a dental laboratory near you–no matter where you are.
The Dental Lab specializes in all three variations of zirconia, including Argen Esthetic Milled Zirconia. Our website also provides a more inclusive list of all our products, which can be viewed here. Contact us today for any further questions or concerns.
Sources:
What Are Zirconia Crowns?
Zirconia
What Is a Zirconia Crown?
Three Reasons Why Zirconia Is the Best Material for Dental Restoration
Zirconia Promises Superior Strength and Aesthetics in Dental Implants
Monolithic Zirconia: An Update to Current Knowledge. Optical Properties, Wear, and Clinical Performance
Keywords:
The Dental Lab, Dental Lab, Restoration, Crown and Bridge, Dental Crowns, dental lab near me, Zirconia Crowns, Zirconia Lab, full-contour zirconia, monolithic zirconia, layered zirconia, esthetic zirconia
