I've had both porcelain and zirconia crowns over the years, and honestly, zirconia has held up way better for me. Porcelain looked great at first, but like you said, I started noticing tiny chips after about 4-5 years. Nothing major, but enough to bug me when I ran my tongue over them.
Switched to zirconia about three years ago because of grinding issues (my dentist practically insisted), and they've been rock solid ever since. No chips or noticeable wear yet, even though I still grind occasionally. I was worried they'd look unnatural or too opaque, but honestly, aesthetics have improved a ton in recent years. Mine blend in pretty seamlessly with my natural teeth.
If you're already seeing minor chipping with porcelain after five years, zirconia might be worth giving a shot next time around. It's definitely stronger and seems to handle grinding better overall.
Interesting points about zirconia, and I agree they've improved a lot aesthetically. I've had porcelain crowns for about six years now, and they're still holding up pretty well—no noticeable chips yet, but I don't grind my teeth much, so maybe that's why. My dentist did mention zirconia last time as an option if I ever need replacements, especially because they're supposed to be tougher.
One thing I'm curious about though—does anyone know if zirconia crowns affect how your bite feels compared to porcelain? I've heard they're stronger, but does that extra strength make them feel different when chewing or biting down? Just wondering if there's a noticeable difference in comfort or sensation over the long term...
"does anyone know if zirconia crowns affect how your bite feels compared to porcelain?"
Had porcelain crowns for years, switched to zirconia last year, and honestly, I haven't noticed much difference in bite sensation. They're definitely tougher—bit into a sneaky olive pit once and panicked, but the crown survived unscathed (my pride didn't). Comfort-wise, feels pretty much the same as porcelain to me. If anything, zirconia might feel slightly smoother, but that could just be my imagination...
Interesting you mentioned zirconia feeling smoother, because for me it was kinda the opposite. Got my first zirconia crown a few months ago after years with porcelain, and honestly, it felt noticeably different at first—like slightly bulkier or something? Took me a good couple weeks to get used to it. Now it's fine, but initially I was worried I'd made a mistake switching. Guess everyone's experience varies...
Funny you say that, because I had almost the exact same panic moment right after getting mine done. Switched from porcelain to zirconia about a year ago, and at first it felt like I had a tiny Lego brick stuck in my mouth—bulky and just kinda...weird. Took me weeks to stop obsessively poking at it with my tongue. But now? Totally forgot it's there. Guess our mouths just hate change as much as we do, lol. Glad yours settled down eventually too.
