Zirconia
Zirconia (zirconium dioxide, ZrO₂) is a high-strength, tooth-colored ceramic material widely used in dental labs for fabricating crowns, bridges, and implant abutments.
Zirconia has become one of the most popular materials in modern dental laboratories due to its combination of strength, aesthetics, and biocompatibility.
**Types of dental zirconia:** - **High-translucency** — for anterior (front) teeth, best aesthetics - **Standard** — balanced strength and translucency - **High-strength** — for posterior teeth and bridges, maximum durability - **Multi-layer** — gradient from opaque core to translucent incisal
**Manufacturing process:** 1. Design in CAD software 2. Mill from pre-sintered zirconia blanks 3. Sintering at 1,450-1,600°C 4. Staining and glazing for natural appearance
**Key properties:** - Flexural strength: 800-1,400 MPa - Biocompatible and hypoallergenic - Tooth-colored (multiple shade options) - Resistant to chipping and fracture
Dentaron allows labs to define zirconia types and shade colors in their system, track which type is used for each impression, and manage zirconia block inventory.
Related: dental-prosthetics, cad-cam-dentistry, dental-crown, dental-shade-guide