🇮🇹Andrea L. · 49 · Milan

Andrea L. — Zirconia Crowns That Survive Bruxism

A 49-year-old Milan bruxer with history of repeated porcelain crown failures. WeCare replaced 8 crowns with monolithic Prettau Zirconia + custom night guard for long-term durability.

Procedure

Multiple Zirconia Crowns for Bruxism

Visit Duration

6 days

Total Time

6 days (single visit)

Doctors

Dr. Ayşe Kaya, Maestro Luca Bianchi

Starting Situation

Andrea suffered from severe bruxism throughout his adult life. Multiple porcelain crowns placed by his Milan dentist over 10 years had repeatedly chipped and required replacement. He sought a more durable solution.

Patient\'s Goals

✓
Long-term durable crowns that withstand grinding
✓
Stop ongoing crown replacement cycles
✓
Maintain natural appearance
✓
Coordinated comprehensive treatment

Case Challenges

!
Severe bruxism with documented grinding patterns
!
Multiple existing crowns requiring replacement
!
High bite force
!
Aesthetic concerns balanced with strength needs

Treatment Plan

6-day visit replacing 8 existing porcelain crowns with monolithic Prettau Zirconia. Maintained existing tooth preparations where appropriate; minor refinement where needed. Custom night guard for ongoing protection. Color matched to remaining natural teeth.

Materials Used

✓
Prettau Zirconia (Zirkonzahn, 8 crowns)
✓
Master ceramist hand-finished
✓
Custom titanium night guard

Outcome

All 8 crowns replaced with monolithic zirconia. Custom night guard provided. 21-month follow-up: zero crown chips, ongoing satisfaction with strength and appearance.

"I had been replacing crowns every 2-3 years for a decade. Now 21 months in with the zirconia, no chips, no cracks, no problems. The night guard from WeCare is comfortable — I wear it every night. The Milan dentist has confirmed my crowns look perfect at every cleaning."
— Andrea L. 🇮🇹

Follow-Up

21 months post-treatment, zero chips or fractures, custom night guard in regular use, quarterly cleanings at Milan dentist.

Andrea L. is a 49-year-old Milan businessman who had suffered from severe bruxism throughout his adult life. His Milan dentist placed multiple porcelain crowns over the past decade, each lasting 2-3 years before chipping or fracturing. Andrea sought a more durable solution.

Initial Consultation

Andrea sent panoramic X-ray and photos via WhatsApp. Dr. Ayşe Kaya identified:

8 existing porcelain crowns showing wear and chips

Underlying tooth structure mostly intact

Bite analysis suggesting heavy grinding pattern

Patient self-reports nightly clenching/grinding

Dr. Kaya proposed:

Replace all 8 porcelain crowns with monolithic Prettau Zirconia

Maintain existing tooth preparations where appropriate

Custom night guard for ongoing protection

Color match to remaining natural teeth

The clinical reasoning: Prettau Zirconia has 1100-1200 MPa flexural strength vs 400 MPa for IPS e.max® porcelain. The strength differential is significant for bruxers — porcelain chips, zirconia rarely does.

Visit 1: 6-Day Treatment

Day 1: Arrival. Mercedes transfer. Initial consultation, photography, intraoral scans of all 8 existing crowns. Confirmation of tooth preparations underneath crowns.

Day 2: Local anesthesia. Removed all 8 existing porcelain crowns. Cleaned tooth preparations. Refined preparations where needed. Took final digital impressions. Temporary plastic crowns placed.

Days 3-4: Master ceramist Bianchi worked on all 8 monolithic Prettau Zirconia crowns. Color matched to A2 with subtle gradient. Hand-finished surface. Multiple firings.

Day 5: Try-in of all 8 crowns. Andrea verified bite, color, comfort. Permanent cementation with Glass Ionomer cement.

Day 6: Final post-op check. Custom night guard fitted (taking impressions for future fabrication). Fly home with all final crowns.

Custom night guard fabricated and shipped to Andrea's Milan dentist 3 weeks later, then fitted by his home dentist.

21-Month Follow-Up

Andrea reports:

All 8 zirconia crowns intact, no chips, no fractures

Wears custom night guard nightly

Quarterly professional cleanings at Milan dentist

Bite feels stable

Zero ongoing crown replacement cycle

His Milan dentist has confirmed at each cleaning:

Crowns look excellent

Gum line stable

No fractures or wear visible

Color matched well

Lessons From This Case

Andrea's case illustrates:

Monolithic zirconia outperforms porcelain for bruxism patients

Existing tooth preparations can be maintained with new crown material

Custom night guard is essential for ongoing protection

Single 6-day trip can replace multiple crowns

Long-term durability breaks the chip-replace cycle

For patients with bruxism history and existing porcelain crowns, transitioning to zirconia is a meaningful improvement. WhatsApp +90 551 086 83 68 with X-ray and photos of existing restorations for evaluation.

FAQ About This Case

Why did Andrea's previous porcelain crowns fail?↓

Bruxism — chronic teeth grinding generates 250-400 N of bite force during sleep. Porcelain crowns (400 MPa flexural strength) develop micro-fractures and ultimately chip or break. Cycle of replacement was inevitable.

How is zirconia different?↓

Monolithic zirconia (Prettau, Zirkonzahn) has 1100-1200 MPa flexural strength — 3× stronger than porcelain. Resists chipping, fractures, and grinding wear. Dental literature shows 90%+ 10-year survival rate for zirconia crowns vs 70-80% for porcelain in bruxers.

Did Andrea need new tooth preparations?↓

Mostly no. The existing preparations were largely suitable. Minor refinements were made where needed. This avoided unnecessary tooth structure removal.

Will zirconia crowns wear opposing natural teeth?↓

Modern polished zirconia has minimal wear effect on opposing teeth. Andrea's bite analysis showed no concerning wear after 21 months. The zirconia crowns themselves are highly resistant to wear.

Why is the night guard important?↓

Custom night guard distributes grinding forces across all teeth, preventing concentrated wear or stress on individual crowns. Even with zirconia's strength, night guard protects long-term outcomes for any bruxer.

How is Andrea's 21-month outcome typical?↓

For bruxers receiving monolithic zirconia crowns, this is a typical excellent outcome. Most cases are stable for 15+ years without intervention. WeCare's 5-year warranty on crowns reflects this expected longevity.

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