Zirconia Based Dental Materials; Most Biocompatible Dental Raw Materials Second To Gold
Zirconia-based dental materials are often used in clinical practice or dentistry due to their tooth-like appearance, affordability, biocompatibility, and bio-functionality. Zirconia is a good choice for people who wish to have metal-free restorations or those who are allergic to metals, making it ideal for dental application. Thus, it is being used in an increasing number of dental implants. Zirconia has been used as a structural material for dental crowns, bridges, inserts, and implants, due to its radiopacity, biocompatibility, and high fracture toughness.
Its ceramic properties and the fact that is milled from a single block make it a strong dental prosthetic. Moreover, its strength allows dental crowns to be far thinner than crowns made of metals. Dental crowns made from zirconia are popular in dentistry as they are 100% ceramic-based and more compatible with other kinds of dental implants. In addition to being non-toxic, zirconia crowns are more resistant to corrosion than most other metals. Zirconia offers superior strength and durability for dental crowns.
It is at least three times stronger than porcelain and/or PFM restorations. Zirconium is preferred over porcelain in covering up and hiding tooth damage caused by staining or fractures. Zirconia Based Dental Materials used for dental purposes are fabricated with the help of CAD (Computer-Aided Design) or CAM (Computer-Aided Manufacturing). Since zirconium exhibits excellent corrosion resistance, it’s the most biocompatible dental raw material second to gold. Because of its superior non-corrosive properties, many critical dental parts are made out of zirconia.
Thus, with the increasing prevalence of dental diseases and disorders, the demand for zirconia-based dental materials is also increasing. For example, in September 2021, US-based Dentsply Sirona introduced CEREC MTL Zirconia, an anesthetic, high-strength zirconia CAD/CAM block that provides you with strong, precise restorations that are highly esthetic and natural-looking. However, it is important to understand potential benefits, limitations, risks, and other factors associated with zirconia implants before proceeding with treatment.