There are many developments in dental materials with each passing year, but one of the most established solutions for a broken or structurally compromised tooth is a crown. Dental crowns have been constructed utilizing composite, porcelain and gold (and semi- and nonprecious metals), several all-porcelain varieties, and recently zirconia. The shift in dentistry to lifelike restorations that mimic natural tooth structure is undeniable, and zirconia crowns are considered “cosmetic” in nature compared to certain other alternative crown materials. Based on perceived and actual patient demand owing to aesthetic and health concerns, material choices have dramatically shifted to “metal-free” wherever possible. This shift to “metal-free” is a bit ironic, since dental zirconia is technically an oxidized metal but is considered by dentists and patients to be metal-free.1
Initially, zirconia crowns were predominantly fabricated with a zirconia coping layered or pressed with different types of porcelain. Recently, a growing number of monolithic (full-contour) zirconia crowns have been requested by dentists, predominantly as a result of ubiquitous laboratory marketing. These full-contour zirconia crowns are extraordinarily strong, and it has been argued that they are just as aesthetic as layered zirconia crowns
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