LAYERED AND SOLID ZIRCONIA- KNOW WHICH ONE TO CHOOSE
Contents
Zirconia porcelain teeth are the common name of teeth with Zirconium alloy inside. Therefore, they are considered the “ancestor” of all-ceramic teeth today. With outstanding advantages in durability and hardness, many dentists love to introduce Zirconium materials for patients.
Currently, layered and solid Zirconia are two typical product lines of Zirconium. They have Zirconium components inside, but their structure is different. The following article will help you better understand layered and solid Zirconia to make the right choice.
1. Brief History of Zirconium
Zirconia porcelain teeth are non-metallic porcelain teeth made of Zirconium Dioxide material – a silicate belonging to the same group as titanium, invented by German scientist M. H. Klaproth in 1789. Zirconia teeth were first used at the dental clinic of the University of Zurich (Switzerland) in 1998 and continue to develop to this day.
Zirconia is an important step forward for the dental industry as it is the perfect material to replace metals (chromium, cobalt, nickel) that were commonly used before. The appearance of Zirconium is a step for the dental industry to move from metal dental solutions to metal-free dental solutions.
Through many development processes, Zirconia prostheses include layered and solid Zirconia have perfectly mimics natural teeth, characterized by resistant structure, more transparency, and more aesthetic which fully reflect the natural tooth structure
2. Are Zirconia porcelain teeth good?
As a material for making porcelain teeth, accounting for 90% of the market share, many people wonder about the advantages and disadvantages of Zirconia porcelain teeth.
a. The advantages of Zirconia porcelain teeth
Superior Durability & Hardness
The biggest advantage of Zirconia crowns is durability and hardness. According to scientific tests, this type of prosthetic crown can withstand a force of up to 1200Mpa, more than 10 times that of natural teeth.
With the ability to resist abrasion, compatible with the oral environment, if cared for properly, the longevity of Zirconia can be up to more than 20 years.
Natural light color, like real teeth
Zirconia crowns have the natural whiteness of real teeth. They will prevent any light from passing through. Therefore, it will not cause the appearance of the ribs and inner core like metal tooth
In addition, the ability to customize the tooth shade to match the user’s current tooth color is also easy.
Specifically, the layered Zirconia teeth have natural translucency and opacity like natural teeth. Therefore, it is very difficult to distinguish from real teeth.
No black border after many years
Zirconium alloys are proven for good biocompatibility with the body. Therefore, after many years of use, they will not cause blackening of the gum line like metal teeth. Gums are still healthy, do not darken after using Zirconia teeth
b. The disadvantages
High price
Although the price of Titanium material is higher than that of Zirconium, with its outstanding advantages, the demand for Zirconia teeth has increased day by day. Therefore, the price of these teeth also gradually increases
Cause wear down other teeth.
With excessive hardness compared to natural teeth, Zirconia porcelain crowns often cause wearing down the opposing teeth or adjacent teeth.
If you have a habit of grinding your teeth while sleeping, you need to be equipped with additional teeth protection products.
3. How to recognize zirconia porcelain teeth?
The advantages of both hardness, durability & aesthetics of Zirconia porcelain crowns make it more and more popular with customers and doctors.
However, when observing the appearance, porcelain teeth made from Zirconia are almost no different from ordinary porcelain teeth. So many customers wonder how to recognize zirconia porcelain teeth?
According to the experience of dental technicians, the way to recognize full solid Zirconia and Layered Zirconia is based on transparency when looking directly under the light. Solid Zirconia will be more opacity than Layered Zirconia.
4. How many types of Zirconia porcelain teeth?
Zirconia porcelain crowns currently have two most popular types: layered and solid Zirconia
a. Full Solid Zirconia or Full Contour Zirconia
Full Contour Zirconia teeth are made of solid Zirconium disc. This form of porcelain crown is flexural strength, suitable for restoring molars. With its sheer strength, Solid Zirconia is suitable for patients who suffer severe bruxism. However, full Solid Zirconia does not have the same esthetic as layered Zirconia
b. Layered Zirconia
Layered Zirconia is an improved version from the Solid series to help overcome aesthetic weaknesses. Its structure consists of Zirconia ribs inside and covered with a layer of porcelain outside. And that’s why the strength, flexural strength, and load capacity will be weaker than that of the original Zirconia crown. But generally, layered Zirconia can satisfy both the highest esthetics and the durability for all posterior and anterior cases.
c. Layered and solid Zirconia- Which is the best to use?
Both Layered and Solid Zirconia products are equally good quality. Depending on the purpose and location of the restoration, the doctor will advise you which type of tooth you should use.
For molars and premolars, the aesthetic factor is not too important. Therefore, choosing Solid Zirconia will be better because this product has super high durability.
As for the position of the incisors, 2nd teeth, canines, the customer can choose solid or layered Zirconia. Usually, dentists advise you to choose layered Zirconia for the most aesthetic.
5. Comparison between Layered and Solid Zirconia
The information in this table refers to the differences between layered and solid Zirconia which help you better understand 2 types of Zirconia crowns:
| Comparison | Layered Zirconia | Solid Zirconia |
| Manufacture | Ceramic layered on the Zirconia frames Easy get margin error (more depending on the skill of dental technician) | Manufactured from Zirconia disc by Cad/Cam technology which is more precise on layered teeth |
| Time process | Zirconia layered creation time is usually longer because it is performed manually to create a complete layered tooth, usually, the technician needs to add 3-6 layers of ceramic outside, which takes a lot of time for the process of applying, baking, and cooling | Faster times because it’s all designed and cut with a milling machine. |
| Aesthetic | Layered teeth are more aesthetic because they are created by hand, skillful technicians can easily create shapes, colors, and details to resemble natural teeth. | Solid Zirconia is cut from a machine, so they will be less natural, but still achieve the desired aesthetic. |
| Durability | Although layered zirconia still ensures durability, the porcelain layer of Layered teeth is often fragile, so it should be used with caution to avoid creating large bite forces. | Very strong and hard to chip because it is made of zirconium |
| Conclusion | Suitable for use in the anterior tooth area, less impact force, and need high aesthetics | Suitable for use in the molar area that requires a lot of force when eating, does not need high aesthetics |
Xdent dental outsourcing lab is a specialist dental lab for foreign markets in which Layered and Solid Zirconia is one of our key product lines. At Xdent, we have a team of skilled technicians and apply Cad/Cam technology in production to produce quality, aesthetic Layered and Solid Zirconia products that meet international market standards.
If you are looking for a layered and Solid Zirconia machining partner, let’s contact us via:
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Author: Xdent lab