| Below are some common questions about Zirconia followed by our simple and honest answers to. We want you to have this info so you'll know when someone is giving you their own "Zirconia razzle-dazzle". |
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| WHAT IS ZIRCONIA? |
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| No company holds the trademark for "Zirconia", because Zirconia is actually Zirconium and Zirconium is a naturally occurring mineral. It's a co-product or byproduct resulting from the mining and processing of heavy-mineral sands for the titanium and other metallic minerals. Zirconia has the symbol Zr and the atomic number 40 on the periodic table. Zirconium/Zirconia may also be referred to as Zirconium Oxide or Zirconium Dioxide (two oxygen atoms). |
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| ARE ALL BRANDS / TYPES OF ZIRCONIA THE SAME? |
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| NO, they are NOT all the same! However, that does not mean that some are so inferior in strength that you need to know which to avoid! |
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| The fact is; most companies that "manufacture" medical-grade Zirconia would prefer that everyone not know that almost all of them buy their mined / refined Zirconia powder from Tosoh Corporation. They each use their own proprietary 'recipes' and processes to convert the Zirconia powder and other additives into a solid block of Zirconia that can then be milled into an dental restoration (or an artificial bone-joint or any of the other medical uses). So really, the only difference that any company can claim is that their manufacturing methods, or additives, or other processes, are better than someone else's methods, additives, or processes. |
| Yes, we're going to skip the argument about whether manufactured Zirconia that deviates from the very exacting scientific standards that define naturally occurring Zirconium, should still be called "Zirconia". |
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| ARE SOME BRANDS OF ZIRCONIA STRONGER THAN OTHER BRANDS? |
| It's very possible that some are, but that's truly irrelevant. Any company's Zirconia can fail if it's milled or fired incorrectly in the lab. But, when it's not compromised by substandard methods in a lab, ALL Zirconia is strong enough that it will NEVER fail in a 'compression contest' with opposing dentition. |
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| SO WHY DO SOME DENTISTS AND LABS PREFER A PARTICULAR BRAND OF ZIRCONIA? |
| The preferences that some dentists and labs have for a particular brand of Zirconia are usually based on the subjective characteristics such as translucency (for full-contour or covering a dark prep), availability of shades, accuracy of shades, the lead time for the milled coping to be back in the lab, etc. |
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| ARE ALL ZIRCONIA RESTORATIONS DONE USING CAD-CAM TECHNOLOGY? |
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| Absolutely yes - without exception. All Zirconia restorations use CAD-CAM technology. The CAD-CAM steps are; the lab completes a digital scan of the abutment, then the scan is displayed on a dedicated monitor and scrutinized by a lab technician. When the technician is satisfied, |
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he instructs the computer to design a coping (CAD = Computer Added Design). Then that digital file is sent to a computer-guided milling machine which mills the coping (CAM = Computer Added Milling). |
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If the lab that you're sending your Zirconia restorations to does not have the technology and hardware in their lab then they MUST send it out to another lab that has the essential skills and equipment. |
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WHY DOES ARTISTIC DENTAL DESIGN OFFER AT LEAST 3 BRANDS OF ZIRCONIA? |
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Most dental labs have a single source for Zirconia. The major reason for that is because most manufacturers of Zirconia recommend (or require) that the lab use a particular brand of porcelain on their Zirconia. It normally costs a lab at least $3,500 - $5,000 to be set up with the full range of shades in any brand of porcelain. Most labs aren't willing to have $15,000 or more invested in porcelain so they can make a small improvement in the esthetics of some restorations. |
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| We have three primary suppliers for Zirconia (and others if needed), because all Zirconia is not the same! So we use the Zirconia that we think will best meet the requirements for each case - which allows us the best chance to give each dentist EXACTLY what they expect to see in the finished case. |
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| And, if a dentist doesn't have a preference, then we make the decision as to which Zirconia and which porcelain we should use on a case-by-case basis. |
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| That may seem unimportant - until your patient isn't happy with esthetics and you're trying to defend the crown or veneer that you just delivered. |
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| We don't want to put in a situation in which we need to apologize for our lab-work, and we don't think you be in that situation either! |
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