Implant crowns are a wonder of dentistry, used to replace missing or damaged teeth for millions across the world. But there’s a few options to choose from, with a variety of materials that differ in durability and aesthetics.
In this article, we explore the most common types of implant crowns, so that you can choose the crown that is right for you.
What Are Implant Crowns?
An implant crown is an artificial tooth that is fixed to the jaw or cheekbone, which gives it the strength and durability of a regular tooth. Once fitted, an implant crown connects to the bone through a process called osseointegration, whereby new bone cells grow around the screw-like “post” and keep the crown secure. This is illustrated in the image below.
Zirconia
Solid crowns are considered the gold standard, and provide a great combination of aesthetics (the crown is the same white hue all the way through) & strength (a very durable and hard wearing material) that is desirable for both the patient and dentist alike.
Solid zirconia crowns are best used at the back of the mouth (premolar & molar regions). The zirconia material is white & comes in a number of shades but is lacking the more natural translucency of human teeth.
Therefore, when zirconia is used for the front teeth (incisors & canines) the material will be resurfaced (veneered) with a more translucent version of zirconia to make for a more natural appearance to the teeth.
The translucent zirconia whilst less durable than the solid zirconia, is supported with a framework of solid zirconia. The veneered (translucent + solid zirconia) crown makes for a very aesthetically pleasing crown, as more light is able to pass through them which makes them look closer to natural teeth, which makes them ideal for anterior (front) teeth.
Zirconia also doesn’t react with chemicals in the same way that metals do, which reduces the risk of allergic reactions.
Zirconia dental crown benefits
Strength:
One of the biggest advantages of zirconia is its strength and durability. Consider how much force your back teeth exert on the food that you chew.
Your crowns need to be made of a strong material, so zirconia may be a good choice for crowns in the back of your mouth. Also, because zirconia is so strong, a dentist won’t have to do as much preparation of your tooth.
Longevity:
Zirconia-based crowns fared just as well over the course of 5 years as metal-based crowns, according to a 2017 randomized controlled trial published in the Journal of Dentistry. And crowns made of zirconia, called monolithic zirconia crowns, are especially durable.
Biocompatibility:
Zirconia is the choice of many dentists for its biocompatibility, which means it’s less likely to provoke the body into producing a reaction or immunological response like inflammation.
A 2016 in vitro studyTrusted Source confirms this, and it also found only a limited amount of cytotoxicity.
Same-day procedure:
Many dentists can make zirconia crowns in their offices rather than sending an impression of your tooth to a lab to have a crown made. Then, they can cement the crown into your mouth in a single visit.
The CEREC, or Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics, process uses computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technology to speed up this process. The dentist uses a dental milling machine to actually make the crown from a block of zirconia.
This process eliminates the need to stretch the procedure into two visits. However, not every dentist office has this technology in-house or offers zirconia crowns.
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