5 Reasons You Should Use Zirconia Dental Crowns Instead of Porcelain Fused to Metal

Dental crowns are a significant investment, so choosing the best type of crown for you is important. The material your crown is made from impacts everything from the longevity of the crown to the aesthetics of your smile. Here are five reasons you should use zirconia dental crowns instead of porcelain fused to metal (PFM).

1. You Have a Metal Allergy

Although crowns composed of PFM have been around since the 1950s, many patients have been unable to use them due to metal allergies. If you’ve had an allergic reaction to a previous PFM crown or have a known metal allergy, zirconia dental crowns are a safer alternative.

In contrast to PFM crowns, zirconia crowns do not contain metal and can be safely used by patients who have metal allergies. Studies have also shown that zirconia crowns are highly biocompatible, which means your body isn’t likely to reject them.

2. You Need a Crown on a Molar

If you think about it, your back molars do a lot of work. They’re the powerhouse of your mouth, responsible for grinding up food so you can swallow it. Your molars require a lot of strength to perform this task, so any restoration completed on your molars also needs to be equally strong.

If you need crowns on your molars, it makes sense to use zirconia dental crowns instead of porcelain fused to metal. That’s because zirconia crowns are stronger than PFM, so they’re not likely to break or chip. Solid zirconia crowns are particularly durable, making them a great choice for molars, especially if you grind your teeth at night.

3. You Don’t Want to Wait

One of the biggest disadvantages of PFM crowns is the waiting time. Since PFM crowns are made in a lab, you’ll wait weeks between your first appointment and receiving your permanent crown–longer if anything goes wrong at the lab.

Zirconia crowns are far more convenient. In fact, Dr. Hardy is able to make your crown right here in our office, so you can receive it the same day! She’ll make a computer model of your new crown, match it to your surrounding teeth, print it, and cement it into place all in one visit. That means you no longer have to wait and hope your crown is right when it comes back from the lab!

4. You Want a Perfect Match

Because PFM crowns are sent away, sometimes, the lab doesn’t get the crown exactly right. The color could be slightly off, or the crown itself could be a different thickness than would be ideal. Additionally, since PFM crowns don’t function exactly like natural teeth, they can be uncomfortable.

Fortunately, zirconia crowns solve all these problems. Since they are made in the office, it’s easy to perfectly match your other teeth, and the computer model creates a very precise fit. Plus, zirconia crowns don’t transfer hot and cold temperatures the way PFM crowns do.

5. You Care About Aesthetics

Dental restorations have come a long way, but many people still have dark restorations they find embarrassing. People who have PFM crowns also often experience a gray line at the bottom of their teeth if their gums recede over time.

Zirconia crowns are a better solution. They are capable of covering old restorations that would still be visible with PFM crowns. And unlike PFM crowns, there’s no metal to be exposed, so you’ll never have that telltale gray line at the bottom of your crown.

Ready to see if a zirconia dental crown is right for you? Schedule a consultation today.