Are Lava Crowns Worth the Cost?

Dental crowns are made of a variety of materials.  The ones that look like teeth, i.e not made of gold or metal, have a layer of porcelain that surrounds a core material.  This core material can be a metal, such as gold, or can be a ceramic, such as alumina or zirconia.  Lava is a brand of zirconia that makes up the core of the crown.  The outside of the crown is a porcelain that is layered around to give the tooth vitality and shape.  It is this porcelain that can chip or fracture, especially if you are a grinder.  A better option can be using a full contour stained zirconia crown.  These crowns are very strong, they are virtually indestructible.  With proper staining they can be beautiful as well.  I attached a video that demonstrates the strength of one such crown made of Prettau Zirconia compared to traditional porcelain over metal.

 

Hope this helps.

Thank you for your question. There several variables present , when we discuss dental work. Right choice of the materials is just one component of the success. Doctor's experience in general and with this material, in specific is another component. Dental technician, who is actually fabricating Lava crown out of a solid piece of zirconia is the third part of success.  Lava is one of the strongest non metal materials for dental crowns. If you are a grinder AND do not  want metal crowns, zirconia crowns are the best choice, because it is the strongest material. Always inquire about doctor's and dental technician's experience with the material they recommend.In addition, I always recommend my patients, who are grinders, a Night Guard appliance to wear as an insurance that your investment  into your dental work will last.

Lava crowns are really a great option - for anterior area. Even the research supports good long-term results of all-ceramic crowns for posterior teeth, in my practice we never place them in posterior areas. All-ceramic crowns are still more fragile in molar area. Also, the patient usually gets the nightguard to preserve the crowns, especially when the signs of grinding are obvious. 

I have used a lot of Lava Crowns in my practice.  I now prefer e-max crowns instead of Lava Crowns due to the marginal fit and the strength you get with bonding a restoration verses cementing a restoration.  It is always better to bond over cement because you get a sealed marginal fit and the bond will actually strengthen the existing tooth.  I still use zirconium over implant abutments but prefer e-max now.