What you should know about Zirconia
2021-08-24
What is zirconia?
Zirconia is another name for zirconium dioxide (ZrO2), an oxide of the metal zirconium. Zirconia blocks and discs are used by dental laboratories to mill zirconia copings, frameworks or full contour zirconia crowns and bridges. These blocks are formed under pressure from zirconium oxide powder stabilized with yttria, plus additional additives for bonding and translucency. This amazingly strong and biocompatible space-age material has been in use for nearlytwo dozen years in some of the and other industrial and medical applications.

Zirconia restorations offer function, esthetics, longevity, and gingival health, and the restoration of choice for nearly all cosmetic dentists today because they are metal free, esthetically translucent, and stronger than ANY other restoration material. A zirconia restoration is metal free. Some patients prefer not to put any metals into their bodies, which tend to *leach off* from some metal restorations and enter surrounding tissues and the blood stream.
How is zirconia block made ?
Manufacturing process
The first operation is the axial pressing of the zirconia. Products are manufactured in standard shapes like discs, cylinders and blocks according to market requirements. It is however possible to comply with our customer's specific requirements and produce customized product shapes and dimensions.
Isostatic pressing method:
After axial pressing, during which the semi-finished parts are given their necessary consistency, an isostatic pressing process is performed on all the products. The isostatic pressing process ensures all parts have a homogenous density and shrinkage distribution. This guarantees that during and after the sintering process, the products will always have extremely constant material characteristics.
Mechanical processing method:
Following the isostatic pressing process, the semi-finished parts can be shaped or machined to achieve the preferred geometry in accordance with product specifications.
Pre-sintering process:
During this process, the semi-finished parts are sintered at a specific temperature that optimizes the subsequent processing stages. Specific, computer controlled kilns are used for the heating up, dwell and cooling down phases.
The shrinkage factor of each production batch is carefully determined in our laboratory. The use of this shrinkage factor ensures that during final sintering, finished parts will have the dimensions required.
Why use zirconia – is this clinician driven or manufacturer driven?
The use of zirconia copings is driven by improved esthetics, biocompatibility, and durability as compared to PFM.

Zirconium Oxide (ZrO2) has a history of providing stability and being highly biocompatible.
With such nature, ZrO2 has been chose by the dental industry to perform such aspects of its chemical attributes inside the mouth. No more metal, no more glimmering after a trip to the dentist. Not only is ZrO2 safe and stable, it offers esthetics of real teeth.
Zirconium Oxide has been praised by many scientists and dentists for its superior use. Zirconium Oxide brings new future to the dental industry by not only providing stability and safety, but also bringing efficiency in fabrication for laboratories as well.
With the improved productivity of fabrication and increased standard of quality, Zirconium Oxide brings bright future to the dental industry by ensuring confidence of safety and superior esthetic quality.

Zirconia is another name for zirconium dioxide (ZrO2), an oxide of the metal zirconium. Zirconia blocks and discs are used by dental laboratories to mill zirconia copings, frameworks or full contour zirconia crowns and bridges. These blocks are formed under pressure from zirconium oxide powder stabilized with yttria, plus additional additives for bonding and translucency. This amazingly strong and biocompatible space-age material has been in use for nearlytwo dozen years in some of the and other industrial and medical applications.

Zirconia restorations offer function, esthetics, longevity, and gingival health, and the restoration of choice for nearly all cosmetic dentists today because they are metal free, esthetically translucent, and stronger than ANY other restoration material. A zirconia restoration is metal free. Some patients prefer not to put any metals into their bodies, which tend to *leach off* from some metal restorations and enter surrounding tissues and the blood stream.

How is zirconia block made ?
Manufacturing process
The first operation is the axial pressing of the zirconia. Products are manufactured in standard shapes like discs, cylinders and blocks according to market requirements. It is however possible to comply with our customer's specific requirements and produce customized product shapes and dimensions.
Isostatic pressing method:
After axial pressing, during which the semi-finished parts are given their necessary consistency, an isostatic pressing process is performed on all the products. The isostatic pressing process ensures all parts have a homogenous density and shrinkage distribution. This guarantees that during and after the sintering process, the products will always have extremely constant material characteristics.
Mechanical processing method:
Following the isostatic pressing process, the semi-finished parts can be shaped or machined to achieve the preferred geometry in accordance with product specifications.
Pre-sintering process:
During this process, the semi-finished parts are sintered at a specific temperature that optimizes the subsequent processing stages. Specific, computer controlled kilns are used for the heating up, dwell and cooling down phases.
The shrinkage factor of each production batch is carefully determined in our laboratory. The use of this shrinkage factor ensures that during final sintering, finished parts will have the dimensions required.
Why use zirconia – is this clinician driven or manufacturer driven?
The use of zirconia copings is driven by improved esthetics, biocompatibility, and durability as compared to PFM.

Zirconium Oxide (ZrO2) has a history of providing stability and being highly biocompatible.
With such nature, ZrO2 has been chose by the dental industry to perform such aspects of its chemical attributes inside the mouth. No more metal, no more glimmering after a trip to the dentist. Not only is ZrO2 safe and stable, it offers esthetics of real teeth.
Zirconium Oxide has been praised by many scientists and dentists for its superior use. Zirconium Oxide brings new future to the dental industry by not only providing stability and safety, but also bringing efficiency in fabrication for laboratories as well.
With the improved productivity of fabrication and increased standard of quality, Zirconium Oxide brings bright future to the dental industry by ensuring confidence of safety and superior esthetic quality.
