Expert: Rafael Mosery,D.D.S. - 2/11/2009

Question
After reading zirconium dioxide (albeit in powdered form) has been shown to cause lung cancer, I changed my crown order at the dentist the next morning after the appt. to an 'all ceramic' crown with the understanding I did not want the zirconium. When I went for the perm crown, the packing slip said Procera Zirconium #18! Although I called within 24 hour of my first visit for the impression, he said the box had been sent out right away so he said the packing slip did not reflect the change??? so that is why the packing slip said 'zirconium' and the hygienist showed me the crown that looked all the same quality/color under it as well as on top. How do I tell if they are trying to just get me to go along with the zirconium by switching the brand name from Procera to Empress which I believe zirconium crowns are available with both??? Would I be able to tell by looking at it? He said he was ordering an Empress all ceramic crown D2. What would I look for also on the packing slip to indicate it is an all porcelain Empress crown without any base/zirconium? I have seen on-line for instance there are different letters like IPS. Thanks for any info. My appointment for the perm is 2/17.


Answer
The crown you are referring to is a finished product,fused and complete.You will not ingest this crown unless you remove it ,grind it up and swallow it.Get this crown cemented,you will be just fine.For that matter any restoration that isn't gold is probably toxic if you start eating the raw materials on a regular basis ie:silica,porcelain,lucite,bis-gma,strontium glass.The fact of the matter is you're getting a finished product that is perfectly safe,don't deprive yourself of a top quality crown.Hope this helps.