Zirconia is not a material you'd typically think of when it comes to dentures. However, it's a material that can offer quite a few benefits over traditional porcelain. Before you have your dentures designed by a dental lab, learn more about zirconia.
Natural Appearance
Natural teeth are not opaque; they are somewhat translucent. As a result, when a light source hits a natural tooth, it reflects the light. Porcelain is not translucent and has more of an opaque white appearance naturally. As a result, when light hits these types of dentures, it is sometimes a giveaway that they aren't your natural teeth.
Zirconia, on the other hand, is a translucent material, which makes it perform under light in the same way a natural tooth does. The translucent nature of this material also makes it easier to color match the dentures to your natural teeth, which is very important if you plan to have partial dentures made.
Long-Term Wear
Dentures should be strong and sturdy, while also having a certain level of flexibility. Flexibility is very important. When you chew and bite foods, you need the denture to be hard enough to break through the foods, but at the same time, you need the denture to be malleable enough to not snap or crack at the first sign of tension.
Porcelain dentures generally have a great deal of strength but lack greatly in the area of flexibility. Consequently, this style of denture is more likely to sustain damage if you chew on anything that is even relatively hard. Zirconia dentures are not invincible, but their increased durability significantly lowers the risk of damage.
Ease of Wear
It does not matter who you are, there is an adjustment period that comes with wearing dentures for the first time. Unfortunately, porcelain dentures often come along with a more difficult transition process, mainly because porcelain is a rougher material than zirconia.
Whenever you chew or speak, the dentures will rub against your gums or any natural teeth that remain in your mouth. The result of this exchange can be damage to the tooth or gums, but it can also be a fair amount of discomfort. The smoother nature of zirconia makes it easier to wear, as there is no friction built up around your teeth or gums whenever you move your mouth.
For more information about zirconia, speak with a business such as Custom Denture Lab for assistance.
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