Simple and not very aesthetic materials for crowns and implants are being replaced by more modern and high-quality prostheses. Ceramic teeth, which differ in strength and durability, are very popular, and it is almost impossible to distinguish them from natural ones.
Material Features
Often, veneers and crowns, incisors on a removable denture or bridges are most often made from ceramics - a rather rare phenomenon. Piece fixed prostheses perfectly repeat the natural shape of the tooth and fully take over the masticatory functions in full.
Externally, ceramic crowns are similar to caps; they are mounted on implants or the remains of a natural tooth, which must be preserved. The prosthesis is fixed using a special cement material. If the technology has not been disrupted, the crown holds very tightly, and it is simply impossible to remove it.
Modern ceramic crowns lack a metal frame. Light penetrates through the material freely, ensuring an impeccable similarity to natural teeth. That is why ceramics is the best option for prosthetics of units and deuces that are in sight. For chewing teeth , metal ceramics are usually used - it looks less beautiful, but can withstand serious chewing loads with ease.
The advantages of ceramic crowns
Ceramic teeth have gained popularity due to a number of advantages that stand out from other prosthetics:
- Dentures are lightweight, and are made relatively quickly, and they are installed very simply.
- Ceramic teeth require the same care as real ones; special tools do not need to be purchased.
- The service life is at least five to seven years, and with a lean relationship, it can increase to ten.
- The installation allows you to leave the vessels and nerves in place, thereby preserving the "life" of the natural tooth, which is located under the crown.
- The ceramics are quite thin, due to which it adheres tightly to the gum, the remnants of food do not fall under the crown.
- The material does not cause irritation of the mucosa and does not leave a foreign taste.
- During installation and use, ceramic teeth do not injure soft gum tissue. Do not provoke inflammation.
- Ceramic veneers for teeth and crowns do not stain with tobacco or coffee and do not darken over time.
Disadvantages. Reviews
Before the ceramic teeth are installed, the patient will have to go through several not very pleasant procedures. The tissues of a natural tooth are ground. You can save only a small part of it.
Patients installing ceramic teeth, reviews about them leave different. Most often, patients note several drawbacks:
- Despite the fact that technologies are gradually being improved, most often ceramic crowns are not placed on chewing teeth - too high a load slightly reduces their service life.
- Due to the fact that it is difficult to make a ceramic crown for a tooth, the price is higher than for other implants. If you suddenly need repairs - it will also be very expensive.
- Thin material is quite fragile. If the patient likes to crack solid foods, chips and cracks may appear at the ends.
- In some cases, antagonist teeth suffer: they get a higher load and wear out and wear out faster.
The dentist should tell about the feasibility of installing ceramics, but the final decision is always left to the patient.
Stages of manufacturing ceramic crowns
1. Before prosthetics, the patient must visit the attending dentist. If necessary, you will have to carry out professional cleaning, cure tooth decay, remove problem teeth and get rid of gum disease.
2. At the consultation with the prosthetist, a cast from the jaw will be taken.
3. The computer system will “study” the resulting dentition model. A special program will build a virtual three-dimensional model of the future ceramic tooth.
4. The prosthesis is made on a high-precision automatic machine. A frame is cut from zirconium dioxide , which is fired in a specialized oven.
5. A ceramic mass is applied layer-by-layer to the frame; after each application, the future crown is baked again.
6. The finished prosthesis is painted in the necessary shade so that the artificial tooth does not visually differ from its natural neighbors.
Indications for installation
One of the advantages of ceramic crowns or veneers is that they do not cause allergic reactions and are well accepted by the body. That is why the material is recommended for patients who are contraindicated in other types of prostheses.
They are well suited for:
- correction of functional or aesthetic defects;
- restoration of destroyed crowns;
- row alignment;
- piece replacement of the extracted teeth.
In some of these cases, crowns will have to be placed. Veneers will help to hide small visual defects - they are cheaper and are installed much easier.
Contraindications
A ceramic tooth tab is not always the best option. If the losses are too large, it is better to install a bridge, for which this complex and expensive material is rarely used. It does not fit if the patient has too small teeth or the so-called "deep" bite.
Another contraindication is the habit of grinding your teeth (bruxism). In this case, the material can quickly crack and begin to crumble. It will be difficult to repair a ceramic crown for a tooth, the price of restoration work is quite high.
If the patient has cavities or gum disease, prosthetics are not performed. In some cases, the procedure simply needs to be postponed. So, such procedures are undesirable to carry out during pregnancy or lactation, as well as after serious diseases that weaken the immune system. The body sometimes takes dental interventions rather hard, and the risk of developing pathologies increases.
Installation process
After the oral cavity is treated, the patient can go to the prosthetist. First of all, the specialist will turn the tooth, turning it into a stump, on which the crown will be worn. The finer its material - the more natural fabrics can be saved.
A cast will be taken from the prepared stump. During the period when a ceramic tooth will be made, a crown made of plastic fixed to temporary cement will protect natural fabrics. The specialist will be able to remove it easily, without damaging the tooth.
The patient will definitely need to come to try on a finished ceramic crown. On it it will be possible to evaluate how accurately the color of the material is selected and whether the cap is tightly put on the tooth. If there are no problems, fixation on permanent cement is immediately carried out.
Possible problems
Despite the fact that ceramic crowns are quite thin, the patient will still need to get used to them. It is possible that at first the tooth will seem alien. This can primarily affect speech, often temporary defects occur. Within a couple of weeks, all the inconvenience goes away. If this does not happen, you should visit the prosthetist.
There should be no pain during the operation of crowns. If they are still present, then the prosthesis is not suitable in size. Typically, such problems are identified during fitting. It is possible that you will have to change the prosthesis, the cost of a ceramic tooth will increase.
Poor work of the dentist is fraught with insufficient adhesion of the material to the gum. In this case, food will fall under the crown, and bacteria will multiply under it. It all ends with inflammation.
Ceramic Teeth Care
Caring for ceramic crowns differs little from the procedures necessary for natural teeth. Special funds do not need to be purchased. Hygienic procedures should be carried out according to standard rules: cleaning is necessary twice a day, it is important to use dental floss and mouth rinses. It is advisable to obtain a soft paste, without aggressive abrasive particles.
The first time after prosthetics from the diet will have to exclude solid foods. Ceramics can be fragile, so it is advisable not to bite nuts or crackers with artificial teeth .
If the crown is cracked or chipped, it is necessary to consult a doctor again. You can repair a ceramic tooth, the price will depend on the selected clinic and the degree of damage.
A prosthetist or a dentist prescribes preventive consultations. The first time after installation, you need to visit them every two to three months. It is during such receptions that problems are discovered, if any.
Ceramic tooth: price
The manufacture and installation of ceramics is carried out only by professionals with the necessary qualifications. The work is laborious and takes a lot of time. Of course, all these aspects affect the cost of the product. Some more points are taken into account:
- type of design selected;
- prosthetics method;
- scope of work on manufacturing;
- installation process;
- prosthesis materials.
How much does a ceramic tooth cost? The average cost is about 20 thousand rubles. This largely depends on the price of the clinic in which the prosthetics take place. You need to be prepared for the fact that crowns from this beautiful material will be many times more expensive than other options. You can also try on the cost of consultation and preventive examinations.
It is better to find out the approximate final price during the first consultation so that it does not become an unpleasant surprise for the patient. If you want to save money, you should pay attention to cheaper crowns, which in quality will not yield to ceramic ones. However, if the front teeth need restoration and you want to preserve their beauty, you will have to pay the necessary amount.