Zirconia Crowns: When They Fit and Where They Do Not
The question before the material is whether a crown is needed at all.
What zirconia offers
In conventional porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns the core is metal: strong, but opaque, and it can show as a dark line at the margin if the gum recedes. In zirconia the core is white ceramic, with more natural light transmission and no dark margin. Its second advantage is mechanical: monolithic zirconia has high fracture resistance and handles posterior chewing loads well. It is biocompatible and suits patients with metal sensitivity, and computer-aided manufacture gives a close marginal fit, reducing leakage beneath the crown.
Where it fits and where it fits less well
- Root-treated back tooth with major loss → suitable
- A multi-unit fixed bridge → suitable for strength
- A patient with metal sensitivity → a suitable alternative
- Colour and minor shape only → veneer or bonding considered
- A sound, barely worn front tooth → crown reduction may be unnecessary
- Untreated gum disease → periodontal treatment first
- Marked night clenching → design reviewed and a night guard planned
Its limits and what to watch
The main limit is that a crown is irreversible: sound tissue is removed from every surface to allow adequate thickness. Making a crown for colour or a minor shape issue can mean tissue loss out of proportion to the problem, and more conservative options are then considered. The second point is the opposing tooth — zirconia is hard, and an unpolished surface can wear the opposing enamel over time, so bite adjustment must always be followed by re-polishing. The third is maintenance: the tooth under a crown can still decay, painlessly, so cleaning the margin with floss and attending reviews largely determines how long the crown lasts.
Getting Here, Booking and Emergencies from Doyran
Route, booking and emergency arrangements for patients from Doyran.
Getting here from Doyran
Doyran lies in the Konyaaltı district of Antalya; Konyaaltı is one of the central districts, about 8 kilometres from the clinic. We also see patients from neighbouring areas that share the route from Doyran, such as Geyikbayırı, Karatepe, Pınarbaşı, Üçoluk. You can ask for the location on WhatsApp when travelling from Doyran.
Appointments for Doyran
At this distance, splitting treatment into visits is no problem for patients from Doyran, and attending reviews is easy too. As with patients from Konyaalti generally, appointments for families from Doyran can be scheduled consecutively.
Emergencies from Doyran
Setting out from Doyran at night is quick; come without delay in an emergency, and calling as you leave means preparation is done in advance. For patients coming from Dental Clinic in Doyran, the clinic is open 24/7 and in an emergency the order is set by severity rather than arrival time. For spreading facial swelling, difficulty swallowing or breathing, or toothache with fever, go to the nearest emergency department.
A Gummy Smile: Treatment Depends on the Cause
Showing a lot of gum when smiling does not have a single cause. Four different causes can produce the same appearance, and each calls for a different procedure.
Four different causes
The right diagnosis prevents unnecessary procedures:
- Part of the tooth is still covered by gum — a short-looking crown
- An overactive upper lip that rises too far when smiling
- Vertical over-development of the upper jaw — skeletal
- A short upper lip — anatomical
Reshaping the gum level
Where the cause is gum covering too much of the tooth, the level is reshaped with a laser or surgically. The critical point is that the underlying bone is also assessed: if only the gum is removed and the bone level left alone, the tissue returns to its old position within a few months. This is the most common reason such procedures need repeating.
What the laser adds
Reshaping with a laser involves little bleeding, usually needs no sutures and heals faster. It is done under local anaesthesia and a single session is enough in most cases. The laser does not, however, replace identifying the cause correctly; where the cause is skeletal, no lasting result is obtained with it.
