Zirconia: the best material for dental restorations

After years of study, zirconium oxide has become the material of excellence in the production of dental restorations thanks to its translucency, biocompatibility, lightness and sturdiness. The dental technician can rely on Proxera®, service specialized in digital processing, for the realization of bridges and crowns in zirconium.

Zirconium oxide or zirconia is a polymorphic crystalline substance that comes in the form of an odorless white powder. Due to its high degree of biocompatibility and its lightness, zirconia has established as an excellent material for the production of dental restorations.

In recent years, zirconium oxide has been widely used for making bridges and crowns that are subsequently layered with feldspathic porcelain. In this way, the structures are used for making extremely resistant dental prostheses using monolithic zirconium oxide.

Zirconium oxide is a material suitable for milling that guarantees an outcome that is, from an esthetic point of view, unexpected for parts made of metal, especially in terms of translucency. Compared to the past, this material output valuable results in terms of coloring and also strength. Today, it is possible to create extended, lightweight and sturdy bridges, even when there are several elements missing.

Among the other qualities that make zirconium oxide the ideal material for dental restorations, we list biocompatibility, ionic stability, reduced specific gravity and high strength.

Although there has been great progress in the study and use of this material, working with zirconia still requires caution and a degree of preparation and experience. Since it is a powder to be sintered, it is necessary to comply with the minimum thicknesses during the design stage, to avoid fragility of components. Also with regard to the cervical area, it is good to rely on the Chamfer preparation. A conical preparation, knife blade or area does not guarantee adequate support. It is, therefore, necessary to thicken the structure compared to a linear preparation.

After suitable preparation of the file, manufacture takes place via numerical control machines or by milling of blocks of zirconium oxide. Then we continue with the sintering of the material in the furnace at a temperature that settles between 1450° and 1550°.

In summary, the use of zirconia in the dental field is justified by the fact that this material has excellent physical and chemical characteristics and its biocompatibility , scientifically proven, meets the needs of patients. More and more precise dental prostheses, similar to natural ones and able to meet the aesthetic requirements of users, are the undoubted advantages offered by the material.

Proxera®, a service specialized in digital processing, works side by side with laboratories to ensure the perfect success of the component and evaluates, together with the dental technician, which solutions are better in terms of technologies and materials.