What Are Implant Crowns and Bridges Made Of

The implant supports your replacement tooth, but the crown or bridge is made from a different material. In this video, Dr. Regan Ackerman discusses the materials she uses and the details she considers when choosing between them.

So what are the common materials that we use for implant-supported crowns or bridges? The most common material is what we call zirconia. I say it’s kind of a white metal, so it’s a very strong material. An advantage of zirconia, besides its strength, is that you don’t have to have as much thickness for it to be strong. So a lot of times we’re looking at your bite, and if you don’t have a lot of space there, zirconia is a great option.

The other option that I still use in certain scenarios is what we call porcelain fused to metal. It has a metal framework kind of substructure underneath it, and then the porcelain is the white part, the tooth-colored part. But in certain scenarios, the porcelain fused to metal may work better than the zirconia. It just kind of depends on the scenario, where we’re replacing your teeth, what your bite looks like, and how much space we have. But those are the 2 most common materials that we use for implant-supported crowns or bridges.

I would say the zirconia is probably the more common option. There’s no metal involved, or I should say silver metal, but it is a very, very strong material.

If you’re interested in learning more about implant crown and bridge materials, we invite you to schedule a free consultation with Dr. Regan Ackerman at Freedom Dental Implants in Louisville, Kentucky. We look forward to giving you the freedom to smile.