🦷 Crowns for Zirconia Implants: What Works Best?

After getting a dental implant, your next big decision is choosing the right crown — the visible part of the tooth. If you selected zirconia implants to avoid metals, your crown choice becomes even more important. Let’s explore your best options in simple terms.

Zirconia Crown Options

Different crown materials work better depending on implant design and location

How Zirconia Implant Design Affects Your Crown

One-Piece Zirconia Implants

These are like a white post with a built-in tooth-shaped top. That means:

  • Only cement-retained crowns can be used
  • No screw-access like some titanium implants
  • Limited flexibility if implant is not ideally positioned

Think of it like setting a lamp post in concrete — once it’s in, you work around its angle and shape.

Two-Piece Zirconia Implants

These are more like traditional titanium implants and offer:

  • More flexibility for positioning and adjustments
  • Possibility for screw-retained crowns
  • May use ceramic or plastic connectors instead of metal

Best Materials for Crowns on Zirconia Implants

1. Lithium Disilicate (e.max)

What it is: A strong glass-based ceramic

  • Beautiful and natural-looking
  • Ideal for visible front teeth
  • Nearly 100% success when used as a solid (monolithic) piece

It’s like a high-end ceramic bowl — strong enough for everyday use, yet elegant.

2. Full Zirconia Crowns

What it is: The same core material as your implant

  • Ultra-strong and fracture-resistant
  • Great for back teeth or patients who grind
  • Less translucent (less natural) than glass ceramics — though improving

Think of it like a ceramic knife — tough, reliable, and built for pressure.

3. Hybrid Materials

What it is: A mix of ceramic and polymer (plastic)

  • Absorbs stress well
  • Good for temporary crowns or evolving cases

What the Research Says

  • Solid lithium disilicate crowns: ~100% success
  • Layered zirconia crowns: ~89% success (more chipping)
  • Layered zirconia bridges: ~94% success

Most Common Problems

  • Layered porcelain chipping
  • Fractures with thin implants (< 3.5mm)
  • Issues in patients with heavy bite or teeth grinding

Solid, non-layered materials offer the best durability — like a mug made from one piece of ceramic vs. one with a decorative but fragile glaze.

Practical Tips

  • Use monolithic materials: Avoid layered porcelain when possible
  • Match strength to your bite: Stronger materials for grinders or back teeth
  • Focus on cementing technique: The right adhesive matters
  • Let your dentist guide you: Especially in choosing materials for front vs. back teeth

A Real-Life Example

One of our patients needed multiple teeth replaced with zirconia implants. After shaping the gum with temporaries, we placed solid e.max crowns for a natural result. Four years later? Zero chipping, beautiful aesthetics, and perfect function.

Looking Ahead

Innovations in materials and digital workflows are giving patients stronger, more beautiful, and longer-lasting results than ever before. As the field grows, so do the options for you.

Bottom Line

If you've chosen zirconia implants, your crown should match in quality. Solid lithium disilicate or high-translucency zirconia offers the best blend of strength and aesthetics.

Work with a dentist who understands how to balance implant material, crown strength, and smile aesthetics to give you results that last.