I’ve actually got both types in my mouth—porcelain on a front tooth and zirconia on a molar. The porcelain one looks almost identical to my real teeth, but I did chip it after a couple years (I grind my teeth at night, which probably didn’t help). My dentist patched it up, but it’s definitely more fragile.
The zirconia one’s been solid for about five years now. No chips, no cracks, but I have noticed the tooth above it feels a bit more sensitive lately. I guess that’s the “tank” downside you mentioned. I wear a night guard now, even though it’s kind of a pain.
Insurance barely covered either one, honestly. Ended up paying most of it out of pocket, which stings. If I had to pick again, I’d probably still go with zirconia for the back teeth just for peace of mind, but I’d be more careful about grinding. There’s always a trade-off, right?
Yeah, I totally get what you mean about the trade-off. I’ve got a zirconia crown on one of my back molars too, and it’s been a tank for sure—no issues at all, but I do notice the tooth above it sometimes feels a bit “off.” My dentist warned me that zirconia’s so tough it can put extra pressure on the opposing tooth, especially if you grind. I also grind at night (apparently I’m a “champion” at it, according to my hygienist), so I started using a night guard. It’s annoying, but honestly, I’d rather deal with that than another cracked crown.
Porcelain looks amazing, but I chipped one years ago just biting into a sandwich—so frustrating. I think if I ever need a front one replaced, I’d still go porcelain for the look, but for chewing teeth, zirconia’s probably the way to go. Insurance barely covered mine either, which was a rude surprise. Dental work is so expensive, it’s wild. There really is no perfect answer... just gotta pick your battles, I guess.
Porcelain looks amazing, but I chipped one years ago just biting into a sandwich—so frustrating.
That’s wild—same thing happened to me, except it was on a salad crouton. It’s annoying how something that looks great can be so fragile. I totally get the frustration with insurance too. Have you noticed any sensitivity with your zirconia crown? Mine’s solid, but it did take a while to get used to the “hardness” compared to my old one.
Have you noticed any sensitivity with your zirconia crown? Mine’s solid, but it did take a while to get used to the “hardness” compared to my old one.
That’s interesting—my experience was almost the opposite. I had a zirconia crown put on a molar about two years ago, and I actually found it way less sensitive than my old porcelain one. But I do get what you mean about the "hardness." For me, it felt a bit too much at first, like biting down on something that wasn’t quite tooth-like. Took me a couple of months before it stopped feeling weird whenever I chewed.
I’m kind of surprised so many people have issues with porcelain chipping. My dentist kept saying porcelain fused to metal was the “gold standard,” but mine chipped on a bagel (of all things), and then it just spiraled from there—more cracks, more repairs. At least with zirconia, I haven’t had any chips, but I sometimes wonder if it’s too hard for the teeth above/below? Anyone else worried about wear on opposing teeth? My dentist brushed it off, but I’ve read mixed things.
Another thing: insurance barely covered the switch to zirconia, even though my old crown failed after just five years. Is that typical? Feels like they should cover replacements when stuff breaks for no good reason.
One last thing—has anyone else noticed that food gets stuck around their zirconia crowns more than porcelain ones? Maybe it’s just how mine fits, but it drives me nuts. Starting to wonder if I should’ve just insisted on another porcelain crown and dealt with the risk of chipping again.
I guess there’s no perfect option... but curious if anyone actually prefers the feel of zirconia long-term, or if it’s just something you tolerate because it's supposed to last longer.
At least with zirconia, I haven’t had any chips, but I sometimes wonder if it’s too hard for the teeth above/below? Anyone else worried about wear on opposing teeth?
I actually asked my dentist that exact thing, since I grind my teeth at night. He said it’s a risk, but honestly, my old porcelain crown wore down way faster and left me with sensitivity. I get what you mean about food getting stuck, though. For me, it was all about the fit—my second zirconia crown fits much better and that problem went away. It really does seem like so much depends on the dentist’s technique and not just the material.
