Are Metal free crowns better than metal ceramic crowns?

 

Today, metal free crowns (Zirconia Crowns) are getting extremely popular as a treatment option for Tooth caps. With more and more emphasis on metal free dentistry, use of metal in dental restorations is slowly declining. Even patients are not comfortable with the idea of having metals in their mouth especially when metal-free option is available.

What are metal free crowns?

Metal free crowns are made of Ceramic materials. Unlike metal fused to ceramic crowns, these crowns do not use metal as an inside core. Instead the entire crown is made up of ceramic materials.

Zirconia vs metal ceramic restorations

Aesthetics

 Metal free crowns, no doubt offer superior cosmetics compared to the traditional Metal ceramic crowns.  They also eliminate display of black line along the gum margin which is clearly visible in metal ceramic crowns due to optical phenomenon.

Durability

 Zirconia crowns are more durable than metal ceramic crowns. Metal ceramic crowns are prone to chipping. The chipping of outer layer of tooth colored material exposes the inner metallic layer which looks objectionable particularly when present on anterior tooth. Layered zirconia can also, at time chip, but since the inner core is also of ceramic, it is hardly visible.

MRI Friendly

 The metallic layer present in dental crowns interfere with radiations during an MRI, so they need to be removed before a patient goes in for MRI while no such restriction is present with zirconia crowns.

Cost Factor

 Zirconia restorations tend to be slightly more expensive than Non precious metal ceramic restorations. If the metal used in metal ceramic restorations is gold, the cost will be much higher than that of zirconia crowns.

Limitations of use

 Metal free Bridges are not recommended when three or more adjacent teeth are missing together as the framework is liable to fracture, while no such restriction applies in metal ceramic bridges.

In a nut shell, both have their own advantages and disadvantages. Depending on a clinical situation, the operating dentist can best decide the indication of each of them.