My daughter needed a crown after chipping her tooth playing soccer, and her dentist recommended zirconia too. At first I worried it’d look too “fake,” but honestly, you can’t even tell unless you’re really looking. She’s a bit of a teeth grinder at night (like her dad), so durability was my main concern. We tried a bite guard—took some getting used to, but now she won’t sleep without it. I was surprised how much peace of mind it gave both of us. Porcelain sounded nice, but I just didn’t want to risk another chip.
My kid chipped a tooth during a trampoline mishap (seriously, those things are chaos magnets), and we landed on zirconia for his crown too. I was worried about the “tooth bling” look, but nope, it blends in way better than I expected. He’s also a nighttime jaw clencher—like father, like son—so durability was top priority. Porcelain looked pretty but yeah, I couldn’t deal with another ER dental visit. The bite guard took some getting used to (lots of complaints at first), but now it’s just part of the bedtime routine.
We had the same debate after my daughter cracked her molar (playground accident—classic). Zirconia won out for us too. Honestly, I was surprised how natural it looked next to her other teeth. No chips or issues so far, even though she’s a grinder. Porcelain seemed too risky for an active kid. The initial adjustment to the bite guard was rough, but now she barely notices it. Durability-wise, zirconia’s been solid for us.
Durability-wise, zirconia’s been solid for us.
That’s good to hear. I’m in a similar spot—my son chipped a molar last year (not sure how, probably wrestling with his cousin). Dentist gave us the option between zirconia and porcelain. We went with zirconia too since he’s always chewing ice or grinding in his sleep. The dentist mentioned porcelain looks a bit more natural sometimes, but honestly, I can’t tell the difference. Only thing is, the first few days he said it felt “weird” when biting down, but he got used to it pretty quick. No cracks or chips so far, even with his rough eating habits.
The dentist mentioned porcelain looks a bit more natural sometimes, but honestly, I can’t tell the difference.
Same here—my front tooth has a zirconia crown and nobody’s ever noticed unless I point it out. I was worried about that “weird” feeling too, but like your son, I stopped noticing after a week or so. For grinders and ice-chewers, zirconia’s been a lifesaver in my family.
