Applicability of zirconia in oral rehabilitation: a narrative literature review

Given the current demands for increasingly high aesthetic standards, Dentistry has become the focus of numerous studies and research efforts aimed at meeting these expectations in an area of great aesthetic importance to patients. In this context, zirconia has been frequently studied as a material with favorable aesthetic properties, which were not widely recognized in earlier applications. This study aimed to conduct a narrative literature review to investigate how the new generations of zirconia are applied in oral rehabilitations. The review was carried out through searches in the MEDLINE database via PUBMED, Google Scholar, LILACS (Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature), and BBO (Brazilian Bibliography of Dentistry), using the descriptors: “Zirconia,” “Oral Rehabilitation,” and “Dental Prosthesis,” along with their Portuguese-language equivalents. Articles published between 2015 and 2025 were included, selected based on convenience, and following the inclusion criteria: full-text availability in English or Portuguese. Zirconia, in addition to offering excellent mechanical properties, has shown significant aesthetic potential, and has thus been studied to explore possible improvements by modifying and optimizing its characteristics to achieve more satisfactory outcomes for new clinical applications. However, despite being the subject of studies focused on aesthetic enhancements, zirconia still presents limitations in certain cases. The recent developments aimed at improving its aesthetic performance may compromise other essential features, such as its mechanical strength. Therefore, the clinical use of zirconia in oral rehabilitations requires careful evaluation to effectively balance both function and aesthetics.