Zirconia or zirconium is the most resistant ceramic in the industry and the most powerful material used in dentistry. The type of zirconia used in dentistry is zirconium oxide. It can be stabilized by the addition of yttrium oxide. Zirconium is often regarded as a very hard white ceramic which exists in the form of solid blocks of different shapes and sizes.
Zirconium is a silicate which was designed by a German chemist M. H. Klaproth by name in 1789. Since the introduction of Zirconium in the 1960s, it provides lots of medical purposes. Zirconium is used widely and it is 100% biocompatible, zirconia has also been found to be useful for various prostheses in surgeries of hip, finger and that of the ear.
Zirconia is of two types: they are the solid and the high translucent. CAD CAM technology can be used in the building of the two types of zirconia named above. The abbreviation CAD means Computer Aided Designing and CAM, on the other hand, means Computer Aided Manufacturing. These technologies provide a perfect fit and looks that cannot be matched.
Zirconium is a recently created substance that has transformed the field of dentistry. Due to its exceptional properties, it can be used for various purposes.
Zirconia crowns are much stronger than porcelain crowns. They last longer, compared to porcelain which chip and breaks
Porcelain crowns must also be attached to the metal base and metal is the black non-visible line above the dentures of people with porcelain crowns.
Since the zirconia of the crown is cut out of a piece of crystal, it is guaranteed to be at least 5 times stronger than the porcelain and it metal fuse. Zirconium crowns also provide strength without this huge look that the porcelain is so famous for.
It is prepared from one block of zirconium and is known as monolithic zirconia. They are therefore resistant to fracture and wear and tear. You can have a zirconia crown in one seat, as well as several sitting meetings.
Before that, Zirconia crowns used to have a porcelain layer that used to chip off. Now, with the use of monolithic zirconia, the crown does not chip off.
Prices of Zirconium Crowns vary greatly depending on the country in which you reside, the experience of a dentist and dental technician providing treatment, the size of the crown/teeth. However, in general, the truth is that zirconium is the most expensive type of dental crown. Unfortunately, increased durability, natural look, and biocompatibility come at a price tag.
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Indications
Almost any type of fixed prosthetic restoration can be constructed with the use of porcelain attached to zirconium. The structures are widely long-lasting and tough and also have excellent aesthetics.
In such a situation, the basic structure of the zirconium is laminated with porcelain and is mainly used for front teeth where aesthetics is a priority.
Since the bonding strength of the layered porcelain connected to the zirconia is not so strong, crowns and bridges can be completely constructed from zirconia ceramics without aesthetic porcelain layer at the top.
A whitish color is shown by the restorations and is mainly visible in areas where aesthetic requirements are not extremely high.
Under normal condition, dental implants are made of titanium alloys. The braces attached to the implants can be prefabricated from zirconia.
For best aesthetic results, the implant-supported denture also will have the structure of zirconia. In this way, all reconstruction of the implants will be without metal.
There are a limited number of situations in which all implants and abutments are made of zirconia. The success rate of such devices is not fully known.
The processing of zirconium is done exclusively by computerized systems, which needs sophisticated equipment of high accuracy. CAD/CAM systems are the two devices and, apart from zirconia; they can also be utilized for different forms of restoration (e.g. Ceramic crowns, veneers, inlays, etc.).
