Zirconia crown is a white ceramic crown material used across general dentistry.

In kid words

Zirconia is a strong, white material some dentists use to make a crown, the cap that covers a tooth needing extra protection.

It's just one of a few different materials dentists can pick from for a cap, kind of like how shoes can be made from different materials depending on the job they need to do.

The parent version

Zirconia crown refers to a dental crown made from zirconia, a strong, white ceramic material valued in general dentistry for its durability and its tooth-like appearance. It is used across general and pediatric dentistry as one option among several crown materials, chosen by some dentists for the way it blends into a natural smile.

Our own practice places durable stainless steel crowns for back molars, which take on the heaviest chewing work, and natural-looking resin crowns for front teeth, matched to the smile. Which material fits a specific tooth is a decision your pediatric dentist makes after an exam, not a preference to request ahead of time.

Where you might hear it at our office

If you have researched crown materials elsewhere or heard the word zirconia from another dental office, it is a fair thing to wonder about here. Generally, it is not part of the plan: for back teeth we place durable stainless steel built for years of heavy chewing, and for front teeth, natural-looking resin built to blend into the smile.

That whole ladder of repairs is covered on our restorative dentistry page. A visit brings home plenty of new words, and the rest of the dictionary is where the others live.

Related words

Crown. Composite. Amalgam.