What to Know About Dental Fillings: Materials, Techniques, and Long-Term Results
When treating cavities in children—especially in early childhood caries (ECC)—durability is key. Kids are more prone to recurrent decay due to diet, developing oral hygiene habits and anatomy. Paediatric dentistry focuses on early diagnosis, prevention and tailored dental treatment for young patients, managing conditions like ECC effectively.
A 2014 study in Clinical Oral Investigations followed children treated under general anesthesia, often necessary for severe dental caries that can't be managed with routine care and found that composite resin fillings had a success rate of 81.5% over about 31 months [1]. That's a good track record especially for high risk pediatric cases.
Composite fillings bond to the tooth itself which makes them cosmetically appealing and conserves more of the natural tooth structure. For children needing treatment under anesthesia, a long lasting option like composite reduces the chances of repeat procedures. In cases where restoration is not possible due to extensive decay or severe dental caries, tooth extraction may be necessary to prevent further complications.
Taking care of baby teeth is important to ensure healthy development of permanent teeth and to prevent future oral health issues.
Not all filling methods are created equal. Traditionally dentists place composite in small increments, curing each layer with a special light—a process that ensures strength but takes time. Bulk-fill techniques speed this up by allowing more material to be placed and cured all at once. Both methods are forms of dental restoration to repair tooth structure damaged by caries.
A 2023 randomized controlled trial in the Journal of Dentistry found that the bulk-fill base technique reduced procedure time by almost 60% and had better surface quality right after placement [2]. And these benefits didn't depend on how experienced the dentist was—so it's a win-win for both seasoned pros and newer clinicians.
For patients this means quicker appointments and less chair time which can be especially helpful for those with dental anxiety or limited time. These advances in fillings contribute to better patient comfort and outcomes.
Whether you're getting a filling in a baby tooth or an adult molar the material matters—but maybe not as much as you'd think. A 2009 Cochrane Review found there wasn't a clear winner among the most commonly used filling materials for kids [3]. More recent data backs this up. A 2023 meta-analysis published in JADA found only moderate to very low certainty evidence for any meaningful performance differences among direct restorative materials [7].
So what does this mean for patients? While certain materials may have advantages in specific cases (like glass ionomer in fluoride rich applications or composite for aesthetics) restorative materials are designed to mimic the properties of natural tooth enamel and halt further caries formation. Technique and context matter more than the brand name on the label. And the use of fluoridated toothpaste is a key preventive measure that helps protect tooth enamel and reduce the risk of caries formation.
Long term studies help dentists estimate how long a filling will last. A 2012 study in Statistics in Medicine used advanced modeling to evaluate survival probabilities of fillings in primary teeth, accounting for real world follow up challenges like missed appointments or dropouts [6]. Similar modeling approaches are used to assess the longevity of restorations in permanent teeth.
Knowing caries prevalence in different populations helps dentists anticipate treatment needs and outcomes as rates of caries can vary widely due to sociodemographic and environmental factors.
These models give dentists valuable guidance when planning treatment especially for patients who may have limited access to follow up care or need a longer lasting option upfront.
There's a trend to do less—at least when it comes to removing healthy tooth structure. Minimally invasive dentistry is about early detection, preserving natural enamel and using techniques that cause the least disruption with an emphasis on preserving dental hard tissues and monitoring the enamel surface for early lesions.
Two 2023 studies—one in the International Journal of Dentistry and another in Frontiers in Oral Health—highlight this shift [5] [10]. The latter looked at natural antimicrobial agents like pomegranate extract that could reduce bacterial activity that causes decay.
Combined with preventive strategies like fluoride treatments, sealants and improved brushing habits this approach stops cavities before they start and limits how much drilling is needed when they do. Dental sealants are applied to the pit and fissure areas of posterior teeth to prevent dental caries especially in high risk patients.
Preventive measures should target all tooth surfaces as caries can develop on any tooth surface especially in patients with multiple risk factors. Regular dental checkups and good oral hygiene are key to preventing dental caries and identifying early signs of decay. Risk factors like poor oral hygiene, dry mouth and dietary habits contribute to rampant caries especially on the tooth surfaces most susceptible to decay.
It's easy to think of cavities as isolated issues—just a hole to be filled. But dental caries is a chronic disease with deep roots in diet, bacteria, hygiene habits and even general health. The disease process of dental caries occurs when dental plaque a biofilm harboring cariogenic bacteria metabolizes dietary sugars leading to acid production and caries formation [8].
This process results in caries destruction which can manifest as carious lesions. These lesions can be classified as coronal caries, root caries or occlusal caries depending on their location on the tooth. As caries progresses the dental pulp may become involved potentially resulting in dental pain, infection or the need for root canal treatment. If left untreated carious lesions can ultimately result in tooth loss due to the advanced disease process.
A 2017 Nature Reviews Disease Primers article and a 2021 report in the British Dental Journal both state that caries should be treated as a non-communicable disease like diabetes or heart disease [4] [9]. This confirms that fillings alone aren't enough. True oral health comes from addressing the cause—not just the symptom. Early intervention is key to identifying and treating carious lesions before they cause irreversible damage. Educating patients on sugar intake, oral hygiene routines and regular checkups is as important as the clinical procedure itself.
Modern dentistry has many tools and techniques to treat dental caries effectively but the best outcomes come from combining clinical evidence with patient centered care. Here's what we know from current research:
Caries is a chronic condition—not just a cavity—empowers patients and clinicians to work together for long term oral health.
[1] Bücher, K., Tautz, A., Hickel, R., & Kühnisch, J. (2014). Longevity of composite restorations in patients with early childhood caries (ECC). Clinical oral investigations, 18(3), 775–782. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00784-013-1043-y
[2] Leinonen, K. M., Leinonen, J., Bolstad, N. L., Tanner, T., Al-Haroni, M., & Johnsen, J. K. (2023). Procedure time and filling quality for bulk-fill base and conventional incremental composite techniques-A randomised controlled in vitro trial. Journal of dentistry, 138, 104725. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdent.2023.104725
[3] Yengopal, V., Harneker, S. Y., Patel, N., & Siegfried, N. (2009). Dental fillings for the treatment of caries in the primary dentition. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, (2), CD004483. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD004483.pub2
[4] Pitts, N. B., Zero, D. T., Marsh, P. D., Ekstrand, K., Weintraub, J. A., Ramos-Gomez, F., Tagami, J., Twetman, S., Tsakos, G., & Ismail, A. (2017). Dental caries. Nature reviews. Disease primers, 3, 17030. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrdp.2017.30
[5] Warreth A. (2023). Dental Caries and Its Management. International journal of dentistry, 2023, 9365845. https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/9365845
[6] Joly, P., Gerds, T. A., Qvist, V., Commenges, D., & Keiding, N. (2012). Estimating survival of dental fillings on the basis of interval-censored data and multi-state models. Statistics in medicine, 31(11-12), 1139–1149. https://doi.org/10.1002/sim.4459
[7] Pilcher, L., Pahlke, S., Urquhart, O., O'Brien, K. K., Dhar, V., Fontana, M., González-Cabezas, C., Keels, M. A., Mascarenhas, A. K., Nascimento, M. M., Platt, J. A., Sabino, G. J., Slayton, R. L., Tinanoff, N., Young, D. A., Zero, D. T., Tampi, M. P., Purnell, D., Salazar, J., Megremis, S., … Carrasco-Labra, A. (2023). Direct materials for restoring caries lesions: Systematic review and meta-analysis-a report of the American Dental Association Council on Scientific Affairs. Journal of the American Dental Association (1939), 154(2), e1–e98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adaj.2022.09.012
[8] Mathur, V. P., & Dhillon, J. K. (2018). Dental Caries: A Disease Which Needs Attention. Indian journal of pediatrics, 85(3), 202–206. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12098-017-2381-6
[9] Pitts, N. B., Twetman, S., Fisher, J., & Marsh, P. D. (2021). Understanding dental caries as a non-communicable disease. British dental journal, 231(12), 749–753. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-021-3775-4
[10] Rafeie, N., Salimi, Y., Aghamir, Z. S., Amini, A., Taheri, H., Sadreddini, S., Kamali, F., Akbarian, G., Azizi, N., Bagherianlemraski, M., Valizadeh, M., Alimohammadi, F., Sedighnia, N., Qadirifard, M., & Naziri, M. (2025). Effects of pomegranate extract on preventing dental caries: a systematic review. Frontiers in oral health, 6, 1484364. https://doi.org/10.3389/froh.2025.1484364
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Los Angeles Times
02-07-2025
- Los Angeles Times
What to Know About Dental Fillings: Materials, Techniques, and Long-Term Results
Tooth decay doesn't go away on its own—and when it's not caught early, a filling is often the answer. In the early stages, dental caries may be asymptomatic and reversible, but if not detected, they can progress and require more extensive treatment. As common as fillings are, there's more to them than just plugging a hole in the tooth. Advances in dental materials and techniques have made these restorations more efficient, longer-lasting and even more patient friendly. For both kids and adults, choosing the right method and material can make a big difference in comfort and long-term outcome and the choice is best determined with a dental professional. When treating cavities in children—especially in early childhood caries (ECC)—durability is key. Kids are more prone to recurrent decay due to diet, developing oral hygiene habits and anatomy. Paediatric dentistry focuses on early diagnosis, prevention and tailored dental treatment for young patients, managing conditions like ECC effectively. A 2014 study in Clinical Oral Investigations followed children treated under general anesthesia, often necessary for severe dental caries that can't be managed with routine care and found that composite resin fillings had a success rate of 81.5% over about 31 months [1]. That's a good track record especially for high risk pediatric cases. Composite fillings bond to the tooth itself which makes them cosmetically appealing and conserves more of the natural tooth structure. For children needing treatment under anesthesia, a long lasting option like composite reduces the chances of repeat procedures. In cases where restoration is not possible due to extensive decay or severe dental caries, tooth extraction may be necessary to prevent further complications. Taking care of baby teeth is important to ensure healthy development of permanent teeth and to prevent future oral health issues. Not all filling methods are created equal. Traditionally dentists place composite in small increments, curing each layer with a special light—a process that ensures strength but takes time. Bulk-fill techniques speed this up by allowing more material to be placed and cured all at once. Both methods are forms of dental restoration to repair tooth structure damaged by caries. A 2023 randomized controlled trial in the Journal of Dentistry found that the bulk-fill base technique reduced procedure time by almost 60% and had better surface quality right after placement [2]. And these benefits didn't depend on how experienced the dentist was—so it's a win-win for both seasoned pros and newer clinicians. For patients this means quicker appointments and less chair time which can be especially helpful for those with dental anxiety or limited time. These advances in fillings contribute to better patient comfort and outcomes. Whether you're getting a filling in a baby tooth or an adult molar the material matters—but maybe not as much as you'd think. A 2009 Cochrane Review found there wasn't a clear winner among the most commonly used filling materials for kids [3]. More recent data backs this up. A 2023 meta-analysis published in JADA found only moderate to very low certainty evidence for any meaningful performance differences among direct restorative materials [7]. So what does this mean for patients? While certain materials may have advantages in specific cases (like glass ionomer in fluoride rich applications or composite for aesthetics) restorative materials are designed to mimic the properties of natural tooth enamel and halt further caries formation. Technique and context matter more than the brand name on the label. And the use of fluoridated toothpaste is a key preventive measure that helps protect tooth enamel and reduce the risk of caries formation. Long term studies help dentists estimate how long a filling will last. A 2012 study in Statistics in Medicine used advanced modeling to evaluate survival probabilities of fillings in primary teeth, accounting for real world follow up challenges like missed appointments or dropouts [6]. Similar modeling approaches are used to assess the longevity of restorations in permanent teeth. Knowing caries prevalence in different populations helps dentists anticipate treatment needs and outcomes as rates of caries can vary widely due to sociodemographic and environmental factors. These models give dentists valuable guidance when planning treatment especially for patients who may have limited access to follow up care or need a longer lasting option upfront. There's a trend to do less—at least when it comes to removing healthy tooth structure. Minimally invasive dentistry is about early detection, preserving natural enamel and using techniques that cause the least disruption with an emphasis on preserving dental hard tissues and monitoring the enamel surface for early lesions. Two 2023 studies—one in the International Journal of Dentistry and another in Frontiers in Oral Health—highlight this shift [5] [10]. The latter looked at natural antimicrobial agents like pomegranate extract that could reduce bacterial activity that causes decay. Combined with preventive strategies like fluoride treatments, sealants and improved brushing habits this approach stops cavities before they start and limits how much drilling is needed when they do. Dental sealants are applied to the pit and fissure areas of posterior teeth to prevent dental caries especially in high risk patients. Preventive measures should target all tooth surfaces as caries can develop on any tooth surface especially in patients with multiple risk factors. Regular dental checkups and good oral hygiene are key to preventing dental caries and identifying early signs of decay. Risk factors like poor oral hygiene, dry mouth and dietary habits contribute to rampant caries especially on the tooth surfaces most susceptible to decay. It's easy to think of cavities as isolated issues—just a hole to be filled. But dental caries is a chronic disease with deep roots in diet, bacteria, hygiene habits and even general health. The disease process of dental caries occurs when dental plaque a biofilm harboring cariogenic bacteria metabolizes dietary sugars leading to acid production and caries formation [8]. This process results in caries destruction which can manifest as carious lesions. These lesions can be classified as coronal caries, root caries or occlusal caries depending on their location on the tooth. As caries progresses the dental pulp may become involved potentially resulting in dental pain, infection or the need for root canal treatment. If left untreated carious lesions can ultimately result in tooth loss due to the advanced disease process. A 2017 Nature Reviews Disease Primers article and a 2021 report in the British Dental Journal both state that caries should be treated as a non-communicable disease like diabetes or heart disease [4] [9]. This confirms that fillings alone aren't enough. True oral health comes from addressing the cause—not just the symptom. Early intervention is key to identifying and treating carious lesions before they cause irreversible damage. Educating patients on sugar intake, oral hygiene routines and regular checkups is as important as the clinical procedure itself. Modern dentistry has many tools and techniques to treat dental caries effectively but the best outcomes come from combining clinical evidence with patient centered care. Here's what we know from current research: Caries is a chronic condition—not just a cavity—empowers patients and clinicians to work together for long term oral health. [1] Bücher, K., Tautz, A., Hickel, R., & Kühnisch, J. (2014). Longevity of composite restorations in patients with early childhood caries (ECC). Clinical oral investigations, 18(3), 775–782. [2] Leinonen, K. M., Leinonen, J., Bolstad, N. L., Tanner, T., Al-Haroni, M., & Johnsen, J. K. (2023). Procedure time and filling quality for bulk-fill base and conventional incremental composite techniques-A randomised controlled in vitro trial. Journal of dentistry, 138, 104725. [3] Yengopal, V., Harneker, S. Y., Patel, N., & Siegfried, N. (2009). Dental fillings for the treatment of caries in the primary dentition. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, (2), CD004483. [4] Pitts, N. B., Zero, D. T., Marsh, P. D., Ekstrand, K., Weintraub, J. A., Ramos-Gomez, F., Tagami, J., Twetman, S., Tsakos, G., & Ismail, A. (2017). Dental caries. Nature reviews. Disease primers, 3, 17030. [5] Warreth A. (2023). Dental Caries and Its Management. International journal of dentistry, 2023, 9365845. [6] Joly, P., Gerds, T. A., Qvist, V., Commenges, D., & Keiding, N. (2012). Estimating survival of dental fillings on the basis of interval-censored data and multi-state models. Statistics in medicine, 31(11-12), 1139–1149. [7] Pilcher, L., Pahlke, S., Urquhart, O., O'Brien, K. K., Dhar, V., Fontana, M., González-Cabezas, C., Keels, M. A., Mascarenhas, A. K., Nascimento, M. M., Platt, J. A., Sabino, G. J., Slayton, R. L., Tinanoff, N., Young, D. A., Zero, D. T., Tampi, M. P., Purnell, D., Salazar, J., Megremis, S., … Carrasco-Labra, A. (2023). Direct materials for restoring caries lesions: Systematic review and meta-analysis-a report of the American Dental Association Council on Scientific Affairs. Journal of the American Dental Association (1939), 154(2), e1–e98. [8] Mathur, V. P., & Dhillon, J. K. (2018). Dental Caries: A Disease Which Needs Attention. Indian journal of pediatrics, 85(3), 202–206. [9] Pitts, N. B., Twetman, S., Fisher, J., & Marsh, P. D. (2021). Understanding dental caries as a non-communicable disease. British dental journal, 231(12), 749–753. [10] Rafeie, N., Salimi, Y., Aghamir, Z. S., Amini, A., Taheri, H., Sadreddini, S., Kamali, F., Akbarian, G., Azizi, N., Bagherianlemraski, M., Valizadeh, M., Alimohammadi, F., Sedighnia, N., Qadirifard, M., & Naziri, M. (2025). Effects of pomegranate extract on preventing dental caries: a systematic review. Frontiers in oral health, 6, 1484364.
Associated Press
27-05-2025
- Associated Press
CCHR Seeks End to Mandated Community Psychiatric Programs, Citing Global Alarm
LOS ANGELES, Calif., May 27, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The Citizens Commission on Human Rights International (CCHR), a mental health industry watchdog, is calling for an overhaul of psychiatric hospitalization and community treatment laws. With 54% of U.S. psychiatric patients held involuntarily, CCHR warns the system has normalized coercion. Most U.S. states authorize Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) laws that compel individuals in the community to receive psychiatric treatment—typically drug-based—under threat of court orders or rehospitalization. Critics say the laws criminalize noncompliance and medicalize dissent. A Pennsylvania source reported that under AOT, 'noncompliance is pathologized, autonomy is dismissed…Treatment ceases to be chosen; it becomes imposed.'[1] A 2021 NIH-funded study published in Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology found that 70% of youth aged 16–27 who were involuntarily hospitalized reported long-lasting distrust of clinicians—even when they remained in therapy. Meanwhile, a Cochrane Review concluded that AOT laws showed no consistent benefit over voluntary care.[2] Many mental health consumers are also forced to accept involuntary treatment in the community by being made subject to community treatment orders (CTOs), under threat that non-compliance can result in them being detained against their will in inpatient facilities and institutions.[3] A broader 2016 systematic review published in The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry analyzed more than 80 studies on CTOs, including three randomized controlled trials and multiple meta-analyses. The result: 'No evidence of patient benefit.' CTOs did not reduce hospitalizations or improve quality of life—but did result in patients spending significantly more time under coercive state psychiatric control.[4] Patients are often forced onto antipsychotic drugs. Bioethicist Carl Elliott says such neuroleptics cause 'tardive dyskinesia, a writhing, twitching motion of the mouth and tongue that can be permanent.' Psychotropic drug side effects can include violent behavior, aggression, paranoia, psychosis, dangerously high body temperatures, irregular heartbeat, and heart conditions, disorientation, delusion, lack of coordination, suicidal tendencies, and numerous physical problems.[5] Jan Eastgate, President of CCHR International says, 'Ironically, the very side effects of antipsychotic drugs—such as agitation and aggression—are the same behaviors often cited to justify forced hospitalization and involuntary treatment in the first place.' Yet, under AOT regimes, complaints about side effects or treatment refusals are used against patients as evidence of illness. The term 'anosognosia'—defined as an inability to recognize one's illness—is routinely invoked to override consent, framing resistance as delusional and justifying further force. As one media source put it: 'It casts resistance as malfunction… Instead of seeing dissent as meaningful or contextual, it reframes it as a symptom of a broken brain. This framing is not just misguided—it's dangerous.'[6] Amalia Gamio, Vice Chair of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, helped open CCHR's Traveling Exhibit, Psychiatry: An Industry of Death in Los Angeles on May 17, denounced global psychiatric coercion: 'Involuntary medication, electroshock, even sterilization — these are inhuman practices. Under international law, they constitute torture. There is an urgent need to ban all coercive and non-consensual measures in psychiatric settings.' Rev. Frederick Shaw, Jr., President of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Inglewood-South Bay Branch, condemned how psychiatry disproportionately targets African Americans. 'More than 27% of Black youth—already impacted by racism—are pathologized with labels like 'Oppositional Defiant Disorder,' which has no medical test,' he said. 'This mirrors how Black civil rights leaders in the 1960s were once labeled with 'protest psychosis' to justify drugging them with antipsychotics,' he added. 'Psychiatry didn't just participate in suppressing Black voices—it orchestrated it. And they're still doing it.' Psychiatric diagnoses in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) are not discovered through scientific testing but are voted into existence by APA committees. CCHR says despite the absence of objective medical proof for these labels, they can create lifelong patients to be drugged and subjected to involuntary interventions. Forced psychiatric practices have been condemned by the United Nations (UN) and World Health Organization (WHO), which have repeatedly called for an end to forced institutionalization, electroshock, drugging, and community-based coercive measures.[7] In the U.S., over 37% of children and youth in psychiatric facilities are subjected to seclusion or restraint.[8] Some—as young as 7—have died under these conditions. In multiple cases, medical examiners ruled the deaths homicides, yet prosecutions have been rare.[9] 'This is not mental healthcare. This is systemic cruelty and homicide,' adds Eastgate. CCHR and its global network are demanding regulations that prohibit coercive psychiatric treatment. 'These are abuses. Forced treatment is torture passed off as mental health 'care,'' CCHR says. About CCHR: The group was co-founded in 1969 by the Church of Scientology and psychiatrist and author Prof. Thomas Szasz. CCHR has exposed and helped bring accountability for psychiatric abuses globally. Its advocacy now echoes international calls by the UN and WHO to end coercive mental health practices. To learn more, visit: SOURCES: [1] 'Brave New Pittsburgh: Forced Use of Psychotropic Pharmaceuticals is Coming,' Popular Rationalism, 16 May 2025, [2] [3] 'Ensuring compulsory treatment is used as a last resort: a narrative review of the knowledge about Community Treatment Orders,' Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, 6 Jan 2025, [4] [5] Susan Perry, 'Recruitment of homeless people for drug trials raises serious ethical issues, U bioethicist says,' MinnPost, 11 Aug. 2014, [6] 'Not Broken, Not Sick: A Rebellion Against the Anosognosia Frame,' Underground Transmissions, 13 May 2025 [7] World Health Organization, 'Guidance on mental health policy and strategic action plans,' Module 1, pp 3-4, 2025 [8] Mohr, W, 'Adverse Effects Associated With Physical Restraint,' The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry—Review Paper, June 2003, [9] Deborah Yetter, '7-year-old died at Kentucky youth treatment center due to suffocation, autopsy finds; 2 workers fired,' USA Today, 19 Sept. 2022, Taylor Johnston, ''He didn't deserve that': Remembering young people who've died from restraint and seclusion,' CT Insider, 31 Oct. 2022, MULTIMEDIA: Image link for media: Image caption: 'Involuntary medication, electroshock, even sterilization — these are inhuman practices. Under international law, they constitute torture. There is an urgent need to ban all coercive and non-consensual measures in psychiatric settings.' – Amalia Gamio, Vice Chair of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. NEWS SOURCE: Citizens Commission on Human Rights Keywords: Religion and Churches, Citizens Commission on Human Rights, CCHR International, CCHR International, Jan Eastgate, coercive psychiatry, LOS ANGELES, Calif. This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (Citizens Commission on Human Rights) who is solely responsibile for its accuracy, by Send2Press® Newswire. Information is believed accurate but not guaranteed. Story ID: S2P126451 APNF0325A To view the original version, visit: © 2025 Send2Press® Newswire, a press release distribution service, Calif., USA. RIGHTS GRANTED FOR REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART BY ANY LEGITIMATE MEDIA OUTLET - SUCH AS NEWSPAPER, BROADCAST OR TRADE PERIODICAL. MAY NOT BE USED ON ANY NON-MEDIA WEBSITE PROMOTING PR OR MARKETING SERVICES OR CONTENT DEVELOPMENT. Disclaimer: This press release content was not created by nor issued by the Associated Press (AP). Content below is unrelated to this news story.
Health Line
20-05-2025
- Health Line
What You Need to Know About Dental Crowns Made from Zirconia
Dental crowns made of zirconia have many benefits, including strength and durability, but may not color match the rest of your teeth as well as porcelain. Dental crowns are caps that cover a tooth or a dental implant. Dentists often recommend crowns as a way to support broken, weak, or misshapen teeth. They can also be used to cover up a tooth that's very worn down or severely discolored, or in conjunction with bridges to strengthen multiple teeth. Crowns can be made of several materials, including ceramic and metal. Some people now have access to crowns made of zirconia, a very durable type of ceramic material. What are the benefits of zirconia dental crowns? Dental crowns made of zirconia are becoming increasingly common, and they do offer some advantages. Strength One of zirconia's biggest advantages is its strength and durability. Consider how much force your back teeth exert on the food you chew. Your crowns need to be made of a strong material, so zirconia may be a good choice for crowns in the back of your mouth. Also, because zirconia is so strong, a dentist won't have to do as much preparation of your tooth. Longevity According to a 2017 randomized controlled trial published in the Journal of Dentistry, zirconia-based crowns fared just as well over the course of 5 years as metal-based crowns. And zirconia crowns, called monolithic zirconia crowns, are especially durable. A more recent 5-year study from 2022 found similar results for zirconia crowns over implants. Biocompatibility Many dentists choose zirconia because it is biocompatible, which means it's less likely to provoke the body into producing a reaction or immune system response like inflammation. A 2020 review of studies confirms this and found that zirconia crowns showed good clinical performance based on results of studies they reviewed. Same-day procedure Many dentists can make zirconia crowns in their offices rather than sending an impression of your tooth to a lab to have a crown made. Then, they can cement the crown into your mouth in a single visit. The CEREC, or Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics, process uses computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technology to speed up this process. The dentist uses a dental milling machine to actually make the crown from a block of zirconia. This process eliminates the need to stretch the procedure into two visits. However, not every dentist's office has this technology in-house or offers zirconia crowns. What are the disadvantages of having a zirconia crown? Like many other dental procedures, there can be potential disadvantages to getting a zirconia crown. They can be hard to match One potential disadvantage of a zirconia crown is its opaque appearance, which can make it look less than natural. This is especially true for monolithic zirconia crowns, which are made only from zirconia and no other types of ceramic or metal, although it may be less of an issue for teeth in the back of your mouth. They can potentially wear on other teeth Some dentists have been hesitant to use zirconia crowns in certain circumstances, fearing that the hardness of the zirconia could cause wear and tear on opposing teeth, teeth below the tooth with a crown. While that may be a concern, a 2021 study found that feldspathic porcelain was much more likely than zirconia ceramic to cause wear on the enamel of opposing teeth. Can you have a zirconia crown with porcelain? You've just learned that zirconia can be a little hard to match to the rest of your teeth because of the material's opacity. That's why some dentists will layer porcelain on top of the zirconia when making the crown. A crown that's composed of zirconia with a layer of porcelain will give it a more natural appearance that can be easily color-matched to your surrounding teeth. Studies suggest the porcelain layer can make the crown a little more likely to chip or delaminate (separate into layers). That may be something to consider. How much does a zirconia crown cost? Dental crowns can be very pricey, costing anywhere from $1000 to $2,000. Zirconia crowns typically cost more than other types of dental crowns, such as ceramic, metal, and porcelain. They range in price from $1,000 to $2,500. Your geographic location can also affect the cost. Your insurance company may not cover the cost of a crown. But it's definitely worth consulting your insurance company to find out if they cover all or part of the cost of a crown, or if they cover particular types of crowns. Are there other types of dental crowns? Of course, zirconia crowns aren't your only option. Other materials commonly used in crowns include: ceramic porcelain metal composite resin combinations of materials, such as porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) You'll want to discuss the best material for your situation with your dentist. This will include how much of your natural tooth remains, the location and function of the tooth that needs the crown, the amount of gum that'll show when you smile or talk, and the color of your surrounding teeth. What happens during a crown procedure? There are two main types of procedures for installing a dental crown. Your dentist can prepare your tooth and install a temporary crown during one visit and then cement the permanent crown into your mouth during the second visit. Or, if your dentist has the appropriate technology and equipment to create a zirconia crown in-office, you can have a same-day procedure. Two-visit procedure The dentist will: Take an impression of your tooth prior to preparation for making the temporary crown. Remove part of the outer layer of your tooth, if necessary. Make an impression of your trimmed-down tooth for fabricating the crown. Install a temporary crown over your tooth. Have a dental lab make the crown from your impressions. Ask you to return to their office after the new crown is made so that they can cement it to your tooth. Same-day installation With this procedure, the dentist will: Examine your mouth, take digital pictures, and prepare your tooth for the procedure, which may include administering local anesthesia. Use the digital scan from the photos to create the crown in the office. Cement the crown into place.
