Zirconia is a newer material used for dental crowns. In the past, dental crowns were made of metals like silver or gold, resin, and porcelain. Zirconia is stronger than porcelain but just as natural looking. Zirconia teeth are nearly indistinguishable from your own teeth and are similar in size, shape, and color. Because it doesn’t require as much preparation to the natural tooth, the price of zirconia is affordable compared to other dental crown materials. When comparing a zirconia crown vs. porcelain crown, there are numerous benefits that zirconia crowns have over porcelain. Zirconia crowns can be milled in the dental office and put in during the same visit, whereas porcelain crowns are typically made in a lab outside the dental office. Zirconia crowns can be cemented or bonded and are biocompatible. Because of these benefits, zirconia crowns are growing in popularity for both crowning natural teeth and dental implants.