11 Considerations for Full Porcelain Dental Implant Crown Materials –Review by Burbank’s Ramsey Amin, DDS

Full porcelain dental implant crowns (also referred to as porcelain teeth implants by some people) can be made of many materials.  All porcelain dental implant crowns can be zirconia, feldspathic, leucite, alumina, lithium disilicate (E.max) or several other types. Most of my Burbank patients usually tell me they thought there was only one type of porcelain around. It can also change the cost of your treatment.

It is really important to choose the right porcelain for your dental implant crown.  How the crown is made is AS IMPORTANT AS THE SURGERY! I make it a point to let my patients know there is a difference and this choice has to be made carefully. It can make or break the outcome of your implant.

Here is a front tooth dental implant that I did recently in my Burbank office (photos taken same day the crown was delivered)

Ramsey Amin Implant Ramsey Amin dental implant porcelain crown
Factors when choosing porcelain dental implant crown materials:

  1. What is your Bite Classification?
  2. Do you grind your teeth?
  3. Do you have a metal or zirconia (white) abutment?
  4. Location in the mouth (back vs. front)
  5. Past history of fractured or chipped porcelain?
  6. Cosmetic outcome of the porcelain dental implant crown?
  7. Expected longevity of the porcelain dental implant crown?
  8. Translucency and opalescence of your adjacent teeth?
  9. Mixtures of other porcelain work in the area or bridges?
  10. Gum tissue thickness or thinness?
  11. What kind of teeth are opposing the new porcelain dental implant crowns?

If you grind your teeth, consider using the strongest material around.  Consider even using gold instead of porcelain for your dental implant crown if it is all the way in the back and strength is the number one factor.

If you have a cross bite or a class three bite, then stronger porcelains would be the choice.

In the front of the mouth the color of the abutment (custom or prefabricated) plays a huge role on the choice of dental implant crown porcelains.  Typically if a white custom abutment is made, the real crown and be made with zirconia or E.max.  If the abutment is titanium metal, the color of the metal may bleed through making the porcelain dental implant crown look dark.  Thin gums only exacerbate this non-cosmetic outcome.

There are many other factors besides these ten, but this should get you started in your research to find the right dentist to make your porcelain dental implant crown.

Beware of the lowest priced dental implant porcelain crowns…they have to cut corners somewhere!

Ramsey A. Amin, D.D.S.
Diplomate of the American Board of Oral Implantology /Implant Dentistry
Fellow of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry
Burbank, California

8 thoughts on “11 Considerations for Full Porcelain Dental Implant Crown Materials –Review by Burbank’s Ramsey Amin, DDS”

  1. Dr. Ramsey,
    I had two implants done in the front of lower jaw for a 4 teeth bridge by Dr. Bass in Palm Desert. I have read your brog regarding choosing the right Dentist to do the implant bridge. Do you have someone you can recommend for me here in Coachella Valley?
    thank you,
    Jane

    Reply
  2. Thanks for educating me on types of implants. I “was” considering a zirconium implant, but it’s not worth the risk or cost.
    Presently I have seven implants with three being porcelain fused over zirconium crowns with titanium implants.
    The four implants in my lower left jawbone have some bone loss exposing a portion of the implants. They were placed around 2002. They were placed at a teaching school here in Maryland. One f the implants is an experimental implant called an “ICE” implant, which they were supposed to be following to see what the outcome would be. The university has not done follow ups to check on the outcome since they were placed.

    Reply
  3. Hello Doctor:
    I enjoy very much reading your papers and getting to understand the materials for crown and the restorations of teeth.
    I have a plan for my #14( onlay removed for repair) & #15 (missing tooth) & #16 (crown removed for repair), with a dental bridge restoration.
    I have habit of heavy bite and griding teeth whike sleeping.
    Would you recommend the Zirconia tape of materils for the bridge or I should go for the gold (noble alloy)
    There are 90% tooth resoration in my mouth are gold.
    I was considering the zirconia matirial for my new bridge. #14 – #15 – #16
    I got second though after reading ytour article
    Please advise.
    Thank you very much

    Reply

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