I am a Ceramist and I have a Dr whose patient thinks that zirconia is not metal-free. I know it is an oxide (not an alloy), but i cannot argue Zirconium’s location on the periodic table. I am hoping you could help me to explain the difference between oxides and alloys and how a LAVA crown is not like a pfm- in regards to its properties. This patient gets blood work done to ‘test’the compatibility of materials. I want to arm myself with knowledge. This patient thinks if she goes go to a different dr and gets Cerec, she will be gettting an all ceramic metal free crown. Ive explained that it is the same emax material I have, just glued to a milling stick. I can see this topic coming up again and again.
Please help,
Erin from California
Erin,
Some of these people with ideas about what is compatible in their mouth and what isn’t just have certain ideas that they have heard, and they have a limited number of people they trust. You kind of have to find out who they trust and what those people say about these materials. They may not respond if you just reason with them.
Here’s the reasoning, if they will trust it: Of course zirconia is metal free. When materials have metal salts and metal oxides, they aren’t metals. Your bones contain magnesium, but they aren’t metals. Your blood contains iron, but it isn’t a metal. When we eat whole grains we consume zinc, which is very healthy for the body. Is that a metal? Potassium, sodium, calcium, and many other atoms that are considered metals are present in our bodies and are required for them to function, but they’re not in a metallic state.
Zirconia is very biocompatible. These people with these ideas about sensitivities that they may have generally trust Clifford’s Tests. If this patient is so concerned about every material placed in her body, I would encourage her to just have those Clifford’s Tests done and then hopefully she will feel she can rely on that.
And Cerec is not a material – it’s a technique, and different ceramics are used with Cerec machines. Many Cerec ceramics have aluminum in them; some have zirconia in them, just like other porcelain and ceramic materials.
Read about Dr. Kaake’s Cerec crowns that he offers for patients
Dr. Greg Kaake, Duluth cosmetic dentist