Zirconia is a modern material that is increasingly used for the manufacture of fixed dentures. It is a type of ceramic from which frameworks for crowns or bridges are made. The high-tech material ensures high aesthetics, strength, durability, optimal stability, and is also biocompatible. Fixed restaurative products (crowns, bridges, etc) made of zirconium oxide is CAD/CAM supported in the dental laboratory.

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What is special about zirconia?

In terms of materials, zirconia belongs to ceramics and shows many positive properties, for example the high flexural strength that gives the material its stability and durability. The advantages of zirconia have not only been used successfully in dentistry for many years, but also in other areas, for example, kitchen knives. In orthopedics, the material is used, among other things, for hip prostheses. Crown and bridge frameworks are made of zirconia in the dental laboratory and described as an all-ceramic restauration. Due to its high strength, low weight and low thermal conductivity, the material has proven itself well in dentistry. The bright white color is a great alternative to metal.

How is the material processed?

Due to its high strength, zirconia can only be processed with CAD/CAM-supported milling machines (modern digital manufacturing technology). The dental technician uses CAD software to design the desired framework design and it is based on proven dental technology specifications. The data record is transmitted to the milling machine and the virtual framework is ground out of a milling materialdisc made of zirconia. After appropriate reworking, the framework is prepared for individual aesthetic finishing .

Zirconia tooth

How is it that the “artificial” teeth look so real?

As a rule, only the crown or bridge framework is made of zirconia. This serves as a stable base, which the dental technician now encases with a ceramic mass. The teeth are built up layer by layer with craftsmanship and anatomical-functional knowledge. The result is a stable denture that hardly differs in appearance from the good neighboring teeth. The light-optical properties of modern ceramics offer the dental technician wonderful design options. For more in depth  information about zirconia as a dental material please download the e-book „Dental Material Compendium – Zirconia„.

The light-optical properties of modern ceramics offer the dental technician wonderful design options.

Zirconia

When can zirconia be used?

As a rule, only the crown or bridge framework is made of zirconia. This serves as a stable base, which the dental technician now encases with a ceramic mass. The teeth are built up layer by layer with craftsmanship and anatomical-functional knowledge. The result is a stable denture that hardly differs in appearance from the good neighboring teeth. The light-optical properties of modern ceramics offer the dental technician wonderful design options.

Additional Reads

Dental Material Compendium – Zirconia