All-ceramic – metal-free and natural in appearance
Metal-free material suits patients who set store by a metal-free restoration or who are prone to hypersensitivity reactions.
Zirconium oxide is a ceramic that manages without metal and still withstands great forces. It is suitable for anything from a single crown to a wide-span bridge in the posterior region.
Why it looks natural
The material has a base colour resembling dentine and lets light shine through in much the way a natural tooth does. A metal framework, by contrast, is opaque and often shows at the gum margin as a dark line – particularly where the gum has receded after periodontitis.
Who it suits
All-ceramic is kind to the tissue and suits people who react sensitively to metals. It is used for crowns and bridges just as for inlays and veneers.