Zirconia crowns - fabrication, benefits and the price of dental crowns

Zirconia crowns are today the most sought-after solution for patients who want strong, durable and completely natural-looking teeth.

These are metal-free prosthetic restorations permanently fixed to a natural tooth or a dental implant. In everyday speech the terms cap, crown or zirconia crown are used - they all refer to the same prosthetic restoration.

In this article we explain what zirconia crowns are, how they differ from other dental crowns, what the fabrication process at our practice looks like step by step and what dental crowns cost at the Elite Dent practice in Banja Luka.

What zirconia crowns are

Zirconia crowns are fixed prosthetic restorations made of zirconium dioxide, an exceptionally strong and biocompatible white material. Unlike classic metal-ceramic crowns, zirconia has no metal base, so it does not block the passage of light through the tooth. That is precisely why this type of ceramic crown is used when a maximally natural look is required, especially in the front region of the smile.

The purpose of a dental crown is twofold: restoring the lost function of the tooth and improving its aesthetics. Zirconia crowns solve both tasks at once, which is why they have become the standard of modern dental prosthetics.

Why choose zirconia crowns - key benefits

Zirconia crowns are not popular by accident. Here is what sets them apart from other dental crowns:

Natural look

Zirconia transmits light similarly to natural tooth enamel. The crown blends with the surrounding teeth and is indistinguishable from a natural tooth both in your smile and in photographs. With metal-ceramic crowns, the metal coping blocks light and a dark line can appear along the gum line over time - with zirconia crowns this problem does not exist.

Biocompatibility

Zirconia is a material the body accepts extremely well. It does not irritate the gums, cause allergic reactions or a metallic taste in the mouth. That makes it a safe choice even for patients sensitive to metals.

Strength and durability

Zirconia is among the strongest materials in dentistry - monolithic Prettau zirconia reaches a flexural strength of up to 1200 MPa. Zirconia crowns withstand full chewing forces and are also suitable for the posterior region, where the load is highest.

Precision of fabrication

Zirconia crowns are made with CAD/CAM technology - computer-designed and machine-milled from a zirconia block. The result is a fit on the tooth with a precision that manual fabrication cannot achieve, and a more precise fit means a lower chance of decay under the crown and a longer lifespan of the restoration.

Zirconia crowns or other dental crowns - a comparison

To make the choice easier, let us compare the three most common types of dental crowns:

• Metal-ceramic crown - a metal coping covered with ceramic. Proven and affordable, but aesthetically weaker: lower translucency and the possibility of a dark line along the gums.
• Zirconia crown with ceramic - a zirconia coping covered with ceramic. Excellent aesthetics and biocompatibility, with the note that layered ceramic carries a possibility of chipping (fracture of the ceramic layer).
• Prettau zirconia crown - milled from a single monolithic block, without layered ceramic. No chipping risk, the highest strength, and ideal for people with bruxism (teeth grinding).

Which option is right for you depends on the tooth position, bite, habits and budget. The dentist gives the final recommendation after an examination.

When zirconia crowns are the right solution

Zirconia crowns are placed in three typical situations:

A crown on a natural tooth

The precondition for placing a dental crown is preparing the natural tooth by reducing it to a smaller shape, so that the thickness of the crown material does not increase the overall size of the final tooth. The preparation is done under local anaesthesia and is completely painless.

A crown on a treated tooth

Making a dental crown on an endodontically treated tooth (a tooth without a nerve) requires placing a post build-up in the root of the tooth. The build-up reinforces the remaining tooth structure and enables proper transfer of chewing forces to the root.

A crown on an implant

Making a dental crown on an implant requires a suprastructure, i.e. an abutment - a component screwed into the implant that enables fixation of the crown. Zirconia crowns on implants are a particularly high-quality and aesthetic solution, because they combine the stability of the implant with the natural look of zirconia.

The zirconia crown fabrication process at the Elite Dent practice - a real case

What the whole process looks like in practice is best shown by a real case from our practice.

• The patient came with the wish to reconstruct the upper jaw. After a consultation, an examination and a panoramic X-ray, we chose the best treatment procedure together - because informed patients make the best decisions about their health.
• Tooth preparation took about an hour, under local anaesthesia.
• The digital impression was taken with a 3D intraoral scanner, without unpleasant impression materials. A digital impression is more precise than a classic one and is sent directly to the CAD/CAM system.
• Temporary crowns were made and placed the same day, immediately after the impression. The patient was never left without teeth.
• The fabrication of the zirconia crowns in the CAD/CAM system was completed within 48 hours.
• Try-in and cementation - the patient returned after 2 days for a crown try-in. Since the fit, bite and aesthetics were flawless, the restoration was permanently cemented the same day.

Only a few days passed from the first preparation to the new smile. We wrote in more detail about the placement itself in our article on the placement of zirconia crowns.

Dr Žanet Beneš Ćulum and the team that guarantees the result

The quality of a zirconia crown depends on three factors: the material, the technology and the hand that leads the whole process. At the Elite Dent practice, your dental crowns are looked after by a team of experts that includes Dr Žanet Beneš Ćulum, doctor of dental medicine and PhD candidate, who continuously expands her knowledge at professional conferences and seminars across Europe. Alongside her, prosthetic work is led by Dr Boris Ćulum, a prosthetics specialist with more than 15 years of experience.

Our practice in Banja Luka stands on more than 20 years of work, over 15,000 successful procedures and an average rating of 4.9 based on more than 300 patient reviews. The entire process - from the examination and preparation, through the digital impression, to fabrication and cementation - is done under one roof. Meet our team.

The price of dental crowns - how much zirconia crowns cost

The price of dental crowns depends on the type of material and on whether the crown is made on a natural tooth or on an implant. Current prices at the Elite Dent practice, in convertible marks (KM):

The exact price depends on the condition of your teeth and is determined after an examination. All prosthetic work comes with a 5-year warranty, and you will find a complete overview of services on our price list.

How to maintain zirconia crowns

Zirconia crowns do not require special care - they are maintained just like natural teeth:

• regular brushing twice a day and the use of dental floss or interdental brushes,
• professional plaque removal once or twice a year,
• regular dental check-ups every six months.

With this kind of maintenance, zirconia crowns last ten years or more, and often considerably longer.

Conclusion

Zirconia crowns combine strength, biocompatibility and natural aesthetics, which is why they are today the first choice for restoring damaged or lost teeth. Thanks to the digital impression and CAD/CAM fabrication, at the Elite Dent practice in Banja Luka only a few days pass from preparation to permanent cementation - painlessly, precisely and with a warranty on every restoration.

If you are considering zirconia crowns, take a look at our prosthetics service or book an appointment - together we will find the solution that best suits your smile.