Zirconia Crowns
A dental crown, also known as a tooth cap, is a prosthetic restoration that covers and encases a damaged or weakened tooth. It's designed to restore the tooth's shape, size, strength, and appearance while protecting it from further damage. Crowns can be made from various materials, but at Rivfor Dental Lab, we primarily use zirconia for its superior strength, durability, and natural appearance.
Get in touchOur CAD/CAM Crown Workflow
Every zirconia crown we produce at Rivfor Dental Lab follows a fully digital CAD/CAM workflow designed for precision and speed. The process starts when we receive your case — either as an intraoral scan from systems like CEREC, 3Shape, iTero, Medit, or Planmeca, or as a traditional impression that we digitize in-house using our benchtop scanner.
Our technicians design the crown digitally, optimizing occlusal anatomy, contact points, and margin fit before milling begins. Each restoration is milled from a solid zirconia disc, then finished with custom staining and glazing to match the prescribed VITA shade. The result is a monolithic crown with no porcelain overlay, eliminating the risk of chipping or delamination that can occur with layered restorations.
For practices in our Miami-Dade County pickup area, we offer free local pickup and delivery — your case can go from scan to seated crown in as little as 48 hours.
Zirconia Materials for Crowns
We offer three grades of zirconia, each suited for different clinical situations:
High Translucent (HT) Zirconia — 45% translucency with 1,250 MPa flexural strength. Ideal for posterior single crowns where strength is the priority. Available in white and pre-shaded blanks for efficient staining.
HT Multilayer Zirconia — 45% translucency at 1,250 MPa, with a built-in shade gradient from cervical to incisal that mimics natural dentin-to-enamel transitions. Available in 16 VITA Classical shades, 3 Bleach, and 5 Light shades. This is our most versatile material, suitable for both anterior and posterior cases.
Super Translucent Multilayer Zirconia — 50% translucency at 850 MPa. Designed for highly esthetic anterior crowns where light transmission matters most. Its translucency approaches lithium disilicate while maintaining significantly greater strength. Available in 16 VITA Classical and 3 Bleach shades.
Not sure which material is right for your case? Contact us and our technicians will help you choose based on the tooth position, shade requirements, and occlusal demands.
Zirconia vs PFM vs Lithium Disilicate
Dentists often ask how zirconia crowns compare to PFM and lithium disilicate (e.g., IPS e.max). Here is a practical comparison:
Zirconia offers flexural strength of 850–1,250 MPa, compared to approximately 400 MPa for lithium disilicate and variable strength for PFM depending on the alloy. Zirconia is fully metal-free, biocompatible, and produces no dark gingival lines — a common concern with non-precious PFM restorations.
Modern multilayer zirconia has closed the esthetics gap with lithium disilicate significantly. For posterior restorations, zirconia's superior strength makes it the preferred choice. For anterior cases where maximum translucency is needed, our Super Translucent Multilayer zirconia delivers natural-looking results without sacrificing durability.
All of our zirconia crowns are monolithic, meaning they are milled from a single block with no porcelain overlay. This eliminates the chipping and delamination risk associated with traditional PFM and porcelain-layered zirconia restorations.
Preparation Guidelines
For optimal results with our zirconia crowns, we recommend the following preparation guidelines:
Provide a minimum occlusal reduction of 1.0–1.5 mm and axial reduction of 0.8–1.0 mm. Use a chamfer or rounded shoulder margin with a minimum depth of 0.5 mm. Avoid sharp angles and ensure all line angles are rounded, as zirconia restorations perform best on smooth, well-defined preparations.
We accept both digital scans (STL files) and traditional polyvinyl siloxane impressions. For digital submissions, ensure the scan captures the full preparation margin, adjacent teeth, and opposing arch. For analog impressions, we recommend a two-cord retraction technique for clear margin capture.
Key Features
Protection
Crowns protect weakened teeth, such as those with large fillings or after root canal treatment, from further damage.
Aesthetics
Crowns can be color-matched and shaped to blend with surrounding teeth.
Functionality
They restore the ability to bite and chew properly.
Durability
High-quality materials like zirconia make crowns highly durable and long-lasting.
Explore Our Other Zirconia Services
Contact our Hialeah dental lab for a free consultation on any zirconia restoration.