The key for longer lasting dental crowns

“Every tooth replacement that comes loose must be repaired, which is both costly and time-consuming,” says Minh Le, a PhD student at Malmö University.

We generally see that you can get a very good result if enough time is allocated to this type of treatment.

Minh Le

Zirconia is currently one of the most popular materials for dental restorations; it is strong, more tissue-friendly than metal, and resembles natural teeth.

Clinical studies show this material is durable and that patients are generally satisfied. Of the complications that occur, one of the most common is the loosening of the dental restoration. In his thesis, Le has evaluated various factors that can affect the adhesion of the material to the tooth, and how the risk of crown loosening can be reduced.

“This may involve the type of cement used, but also how the pre-treatment is done. In one of the studies, the results show that adhesion to the tooth is improved if the surface of the zirconia is sandblasted before cementation,” says Le.

The thesis consists of four sub-studies; one of the main conclusions is that dental crowns made of zirconia last well over time, provided that the preparatory work is well done and the manufacturer's instructions for handling materials and cement are followed.

“We have seen dental crowns have a very good survival rate, regardless of the type of cement used. According to the systematic review and meta-analysis we did, 99 per cent had a survival rate of at least three years.

In one of the sub-studies, a three-year follow-up was conducted of a clinical study in southern Sweden, where general dentists from three private clinics and the university clinic in Malmö performed the treatments. The results confirm previous findings – complications were few, patients were satisfied with the quality and the crowns have so far lasted more than three years.

“We generally see that you can get a very good result if enough time is allocated to this type of treatment,” adds Le.