3 Ways Invisalign Has Improved Over the Years
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Understanding the Different Zirconia Restorations
Dental restorations include any dental treatment that repairs broken, damaged, missing, or decayed teeth. Some restorations, such as dental fillings, are fabricated entirely in your mouth during one appointment. These are called direct restorations.
Other restorative treatments, called indirect restorations, are fabricated outside of your mouth in a dental laboratory. These include crowns, bridges, onlays, inlays, and implants.
Here at DentAlign NYC in Midtown East, Manhattan, we offer a full scope of both direct and indirect restorations. With over 40 years of experience, Kenn Kakosian, DDS, PhD, strives to deliver top-notch care using the most advanced dental practices available. That’s why Dr. Kakosian and our team offer several different types of indirect restorations using zirconia.
Read on to explore the benefits of zirconia restorations and find out how they can restore your oral health and revitalize your smile.
What is zirconia?
Zirconia is a type of ceramic that consists of a crystalline mineral called zirconium oxide. It’s extremely strong without the corrosive properties of metal, making it an ideal material choice for dental restorations. It’s also the second most biocompatible raw material, after gold.
Zirconia restorations blend in flawlessly with the rest of your teeth because they mimic the color and translucency of natural tooth enamel. In short, zirconia produces beautiful and strong restorations designed to restore a picture-perfect smile.
Besides restoring the function of your mouth and enhancing your smile, zirconia restorations are also easy to maintain — they won’t corrode, and they’re far more resistant to decay than your natural teeth.
Even so, it’s still important to brush twice a day with a soft-bristled brush and a non-abrasive, fluoride-containing toothpaste. Daily flossing is also a must.
Understanding the different zirconia restorations
Now that we’ve covered what zirconia is, let’s explore how we use zirconia to create superior restorations here at DentAlign NYC. Depending on your needs, our team may suggest any of the following zirconia restorations:
Zirconia crowns
A dental crown, or cap, is a restoration that covers a flawed, weakened, or damaged natural tooth. Crowns can:
- Protect your natural tooth after a root canal or large filling
- Correct the appearance of a misshapen or worn tooth
- Protect and strengthen a weakened or damaged tooth
- Serve as the finishing prosthetic tooth of a dental implant
Crowns can be made from many different materials, including gold, porcelain, and zirconia. Unlike the gold and metal options, however, zirconia mimics the natural beauty of enamel and is much more aesthetically pleasing.
Zirconia bridges
If you’re missing a tooth but aren’t interested in getting an implant, Dr. Kakosian may suggest a zirconia bridge. A bridge is an indirect restoration that “bridges” the gap in your smile. Your zirconia bridge consists of two anchor teeth (which receive dental crowns) and one pontic (the prosthetic replacement tooth).
Zirconia inlays and onlays
You might need an inlay or onlay restoration if your dental damage or decay is only located on the occlusal (chewing) surface of your teeth.
An inlay restores damaged enamel between the top cusps of your teeth, while onlays covers the entire chewing surface of your tooth, cusps included. With proper oral care, inlays and onlays can last longer than traditional fillings — and are significantly more biocompatible than metal fillings.
Custom zirconia restorations to meet your needs
Regardless of whether you’re receiving a regular crown, implant-supported crown, bridge, inlay, or onlay, every aspect of your zirconia restoration is customized to meet your needs.
Your restoration is fabricated using precise impressions of your teeth to ensure it fits your bite. We also color-match your new restoration to ensure it blends in seamlessly with your natural teeth.
If you’ve got questions about zirconia restorations, we’ve got answers. Call 716-350-0665 or click online to schedule an appointment at DentAlign NYC in the Midtown East neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, today.
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