Zirconia & E.max Dental Crowns in Beverly Hills
- Home
- Procedures
- Zirconia & Emax Crowns
Strong, Natural-Looking Restorations Customized for Your Smile
When a tooth has been weakened, fractured, worn, or significantly restored, a dental crown can help rebuild its shape, function, and appearance.
Zirconia and E.max are advanced ceramic materials used to create metal-free dental crowns with a combination of strength and aesthetics. Each material has different characteristics, making the appropriate choice dependent on the location of the tooth, bite forces, amount of remaining tooth structure, cosmetic requirements, and overall treatment plan.
At Beverly Hills Cosmetic & Implant Center, Dr. Tamir Shams combines restorative and cosmetic dentistry to select and design dental restorations according to each patient’s individual needs.
Whether restoring a visible front tooth or rebuilding a tooth that must withstand greater chewing forces, the goal is to create a crown that integrates naturally with your smile while providing appropriate function and durability.
- What Is a Dental Crown?
- When Is a Dental Crown Needed?
- What Are Zirconia Crowns?
- What Are E.max Crowns?
- Zirconia vs. E.max Crowns: What’s the Difference?
- Which Crown Looks More Natural: Zirconia or E.max?
- Dental Crowns for Front Teeth
- Dental Crowns for Back Teeth
- Zirconia & E.max Crowns for Dental Implants
- Dental Crowns vs. Porcelain Veneers
- What to Expect When Getting a Dental Crown
- How Long Do Zirconia and E.max Crowns Last?
- Caring for Ceramic Dental Crowns
A 3D scan, a clear answer on which option fits you, and a written plan with timeline and cost. No obligation.
What Is a Dental Crown?
A dental crown is a custom restoration that covers and protects a damaged or weakened tooth.
Unlike a porcelain veneer, which primarily covers the visible front surface of a tooth, a crown surrounds substantially more of the remaining tooth structure.
Crowns can restore characteristics such as:
- Tooth shape
- Strength
- Size
- Function
- Color
- Proportion
- Bite relationships
- Overall appearance
A crown may also be used as the visible restoration attached to a dental implant when replacing a missing tooth.
When Is a Dental Crown Needed?
A dental crown may be recommended when a tooth requires more protection or reconstruction than a filling or other conservative restoration can provide.
Common reasons include:
- Significant tooth decay
- A cracked or fractured tooth
- Extensive wear
- A large existing filling
- A weakened tooth
- Restoration after root canal treatment when indicated
- Significant changes in tooth shape or structure
- Replacement of an old or failing crown
- Restoring a dental implant
The appropriate treatment depends on how much healthy tooth structure remains and the condition of the tooth.
When a more conservative restoration can predictably achieve the treatment goal, a crown may not be necessary.
What Are Zirconia Crowns?
Zirconia crowns are metal-free dental restorations made from zirconium dioxide, a high-strength ceramic material.
Zirconia is known for its mechanical strength and durability, making it useful in areas where restorations may experience substantial chewing forces.
Modern zirconia is available in different formulations with varying levels of strength and translucency. This allows the material to be selected according to both functional and aesthetic requirements.
Potential advantages of zirconia crowns include:
- High strength
- Resistance to fracture
- Metal-free composition
- Tooth-colored appearance
- Ability to withstand significant chewing forces
- Use in a variety of restorative situations
The appropriate type of zirconia depends on the individual tooth and clinical requirements.
What Are E.max Crowns?
E.max is a lithium disilicate dental ceramic known for combining strength with highly aesthetic optical properties.
Its translucency can allow a restoration to interact with light in a way that resembles natural tooth enamel, making E.max particularly useful when aesthetics are an important consideration.
Potential advantages of E.max crowns include:
- Natural-looking translucency
- Excellent cosmetic potential
- Metal-free composition
- Ability to reproduce tooth color and characteristics
- Strong ceramic construction
- Versatility for selected restorative situations
However, E.max is not automatically the best material for every tooth.
The location of the restoration, amount of tooth structure, bite, available restorative space, and functional demands should all be considered.
Zirconia vs. E.max Crowns: What’s the Difference?
Both zirconia and E.max are high-quality dental ceramics, but their material properties differ.
Understanding those differences helps explain why one may be recommended instead of the other.
Zirconia
Zirconia is particularly known for strength and fracture resistance. Depending on the type of zirconia selected, it can also provide excellent aesthetics.
E.max
E.max is particularly known for its translucency and aesthetic properties, while still providing substantial strength for appropriate restorative applications.
The choice is not simply about deciding which material is “better.”
Instead, Dr. Shams considers factors including:
- Front tooth vs. back tooth
- Amount of remaining natural tooth structure
- Bite forces
- Teeth grinding or clenching
- Tooth color underneath the restoration
- Desired translucency
- Available space for the restoration
- Cosmetic expectations
- Type of restoration being performed
The best material is the one that appropriately balances strength, function, preservation of tooth structure, and aesthetics for that specific tooth.
Which Crown Looks More Natural: Zirconia or E.max?
Both materials can create highly aesthetic restorations.
E.max is often valued for its translucency and ability to reproduce some of the light-transmitting characteristics of natural enamel.
Modern zirconia materials can also provide excellent aesthetics, with different formulations offering different combinations of translucency and strength.
However, material alone does not determine whether a crown looks natural.
Aesthetic results also depend on:
- Crown shape
- Tooth proportions
- Shade selection
- Surface texture
- Translucency
- Gumline
- Surrounding natural teeth
- Underlying tooth color
- Laboratory fabrication and characterization
For visible teeth, the restoration should be planned in relation to the entire smile rather than simply selecting a crown shade.
Dental Crowns for Front Teeth
Restoring a front tooth requires particular attention to aesthetics.
A front dental crown may need to reproduce subtle characteristics such as:
- Translucency near the incisal edge
- Surface texture
- Tooth shape
- Natural shade variations
- Light reflection
- Relationship with the gumline
- Symmetry with neighboring teeth
The condition and color of the underlying tooth also matter because they can influence the final appearance of certain ceramic restorations.
Dr. Shams considers these characteristics when selecting the restorative material and designing a crown for a visible area.
Dental Crowns for Back Teeth
Molars and premolars typically experience greater chewing forces than front teeth.
For these restorations, strength, thickness, bite forces, available space, and resistance to fracture become particularly important considerations.
Zirconia may be considered in situations where higher strength is a priority.
However, material selection remains individualized rather than automatically using one material for every posterior tooth.
Zirconia & E.max Crowns for Dental Implants
Dental crowns can also be used to restore single-tooth dental implants.
A dental implant replaces the missing tooth root, while the implant crown replaces the visible portion of the tooth.
Ceramic materials such as zirconia may be incorporated into implant restorations depending on the location, restorative design, bite, and aesthetic requirements.
At Beverly Hills Cosmetic & Implant Center, Dr. Tamir Shams plans, places, and restores dental implants within one practice. This allows the position of the implant and design of the final restoration to be considered as parts of the same treatment plan.
Dental Crowns vs. Porcelain Veneers
Crowns and veneers can both improve the appearance of teeth, but they serve different purposes.
Porcelain Veneer
A veneer primarily covers the visible front surface of a tooth and is generally used when a relatively healthy tooth requires cosmetic modification.
Dental Crown
A crown covers substantially more of the tooth and is generally recommended when additional structural protection or restoration is necessary.
For example, a tooth that is heavily restored, significantly fractured, or weakened may require a crown rather than a veneer.
The objective should be to select a restoration that addresses the tooth’s needs while preserving as much healthy tooth structure as appropriate.
What to Expect When Getting a Dental Crown
Examination
Dr. Shams evaluates the tooth, surrounding gums, bite, existing restorations, and overall oral health.
Dental imaging may be used when necessary to evaluate structures that cannot be assessed visually.
Restorative Planning
The appropriate restoration and material are selected according to the condition of the tooth and treatment goals.
Tooth Preparation
The tooth is carefully prepared to create appropriate space and support for the crown.
The amount of preparation depends on the tooth’s condition, restorative material, and planned crown design.
Impression or Digital Records
Detailed records of the prepared tooth and surrounding teeth are obtained so the crown can be fabricated to fit the treatment area.
Temporary Crown When Necessary
A temporary restoration may protect the prepared tooth while the final crown is being created.
Final Crown Placement
The final crown is evaluated for:
- Fit
- Shape
- Shade
- Contact with neighboring teeth
- Gum relationship
- Bite
- Overall appearance
Once these factors have been evaluated and appropriate adjustments made, the crown is secured to the tooth.
How Long Do Zirconia and E.max Crowns Last?
Both zirconia and E.max crowns are designed as long-term dental restorations, but no dental crown has a guaranteed lifespan.
Longevity depends on factors including:
- Oral hygiene
- Condition of the underlying tooth
- Gum health
- Bite forces
- Teeth grinding or clenching
- Crown location
- Diet and habits
- Dental maintenance
- Trauma
- Restorative design
A crown may eventually require repair or replacement.
Regular examinations allow your dentist to monitor both the restoration and the natural tooth supporting it.
Caring for Ceramic Dental Crowns
A dental crown still requires regular oral hygiene because the natural tooth and gums surrounding the restoration remain susceptible to dental disease.
Recommended care generally includes:
- Brushing regularly
- Flossing around the crown
- Maintaining routine dental examinations
- Receiving professional cleanings
- Avoiding chewing ice or other extremely hard objects
- Avoiding using teeth as tools
- Addressing teeth grinding or clenching when present
Patients who grind their teeth may be advised to wear a protective nightguard.
Frequently Asked Questions About Zirconia & E.max Crowns
Zirconia is a high-strength ceramic known for fracture resistance, while E.max is a lithium disilicate ceramic particularly valued for its translucency and aesthetic properties. Both can provide excellent restorations, and the appropriate material depends on the tooth, bite, location, and cosmetic requirements.
Zirconia generally offers greater fracture resistance, although different types of zirconia have different material properties. Strength is only one factor when choosing a crown; aesthetics, tooth structure, bite, and restoration design are also important.
E.max can be an excellent option for certain front teeth because of its translucency and aesthetic qualities. However, it is not automatically the best choice for every front tooth. Underlying tooth color, bite, available enamel, restorative requirements, and other factors influence material selection.
Zirconia’s strength can make it well suited to many posterior restorations where substantial chewing forces are present. The appropriate material still depends on the individual tooth and treatment plan.
Yes. Zirconia and E.max are ceramic dental materials and do not require a traditional metal substructure.
Ceramic crowns are generally resistant to staining, but their appearance can still be affected by surface changes and surrounding natural teeth may change color over time. Good oral hygiene and professional maintenance remain important.
Zirconia may be incorporated into implant restorations depending on the implant system, restoration design, tooth location, bite, and aesthetic requirements. Your dentist determines the appropriate restorative materials for the individual implant.
Neither material is universally better. Zirconia may be selected when strength is a major priority, while E.max may be selected when its particular aesthetic and restorative characteristics are advantageous. The best choice depends on the specific tooth, bite, remaining tooth structure, and cosmetic goals.
Find the Right Dental Crown for Your Smile
Choosing a dental crown involves more than selecting a material.