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Choosing the best dental crown isn’t just a technical decision; it’s also a personal one. Patients visiting the SUAVE clinic often ask the same questions:
“Which crown looks the most natural? Which one lasts the longest? Which dental crown is truly the best for my teeth?”
Having so many choices can make the decision feel confusing. In this article, we share real patient insights and answer the most common questions about Emax, Zirconia, and PFM crowns, helping you to understand the differences and choose the option that best fits your smile, comfort, and long-term expectations.
What is a dental crown, and why do people need one?
A dental crown is a custom-made cover that fits over your tooth to protect and strengthen it. Dentists often recommend crowns for teeth that are weak, cracked, broken, or badly decayed. The crown rests firmly over the tooth, restoring its shape and strength.
Best Crown For Teeth: The Material
Dental crowns and bridges are crafted from a range of advanced, high-quality materials, each with its own distinct advantages.
Choosing the best crown cap for teeth depends on factors such as tooth location, durability requirements, and aesthetic preferences.
The best tooth cap material criteria should be:
- Biocompatible and doesn’t cause irritation or induce sensitivity reactions
- Low heat expansion, it isn’t affected by the food or drink temperature.
- Inert material that doesn’t corrode inside the oral cavity
- Easy to fabricate with a technician’s hands and devices like CAD/CAM
- Great resistance to fracture
- Great strength that endures mastication forces
- Long lifespan and durability
- Doesn’t stain or discolor easily
- Highly polished with smooth surfaces all over, so that food doesn’t stick to it
- Shiny and doesn’t dull with time.
- High-quality material that doesn’t chip or crack easily
- The crown’s margins are smooth and fit on the abutment tooth structure
- The fitting surface should be rough for strong bonding with the cement material
- The crown’s color naturally blends with the surrounding tooth.
All of these criteria are available in ceramic materials like Zirconia, reinforced porcelain like Emax and Empress, and in materials that have previously been used, like metal and gold.
Recent Types of Dental Crown Materials Available
- Zirconia Crowns
A highly biocompatible material, it reduces the risk of allergic reactions or gum irritation. Additionally, its low heat conductivity helps protect your tooth from temperature sensitivity. Overall, zirconia crowns offer a combination of strength, aesthetics, and long-lasting comfort. - Porcelain-Fused-to-Metal (PFM) Crowns:
PFM crowns look more natural than full metal crowns and blend better with your smile. Still, they can sometimes cause Gum discoloration from metal, and people with metal allergies may need to be careful. - All-Porcelain / Ceramic Crowns:
All-porcelain crowns offer the most natural and attractive appearance. While they look great, they aren’t as strong as zirconia crowns and can chip or break more easily.
An E-max crown is a type of ceramic crown made from lithium disilicate, a high-strength porcelain that is manufactured from a solid block, and these crowns are the preferred top choice when you want your smile to stand out.
Zirconia vs. E-max Crowns
When patients ask, “Which type of crown is better, E-max or zirconia?“, the answer depends on individual needs. E-max crowns are the ideal choice when aesthetics are a priority, as they are highly translucent and closely resemble natural teeth.
Zirconia crowns, on the other hand, are stronger and more durable, making them ideal for patients with a strong bite. Both options are excellent, and the best choice is determined by the tooth’s position, bite force, and the patient’s aesthetic goals.
Types of zirconia crowns
- Monolithic Zirconia
Monolithic zirconia is crafted from a single, solid block of zirconium dioxide, creating a strong restoration using CAD/CAM Digital Design for a dental crown.
Recently, high translucent (HT) Zirconia has made smile makeovers with full-mouth zirconia crowns a life-changing choice for a dazzling, whiter smile. - Layered Zirconia
Layered zirconia features a zirconia base covered with a porcelain or ceramic layer to improve the crown’s natural appearance while maintaining strength.
Key features of Zirconia crowns:
- strong, durable, and natural-looking, making them a popular choice for both front and back teeth.
- Ideal for molars and individuals with heavy bites.
- High-translucent Zirconia, or adding porcelain to a monolithic zirconia framework, creates a more natural, tooth-like appearance.
- With proper oral hygiene and regular dental checkups, they can last 10 to 20 years or even longer.
Key features of Emax crown :
- Highly translucent, beautifully mimicking natural teeth.
- Ideal for restoring front teeth.
- requires less removal of the natural tooth structure to achieve optimal aesthetic results. This conservative approach helps preserve more of the healthy tooth while still delivering excellent translucency and a natural appearance.
- Slightly higher in cost, but worth it for the exceptional quality.
Both Emax and Zirconia crowns are excellent restorative options. Emax is the top choice when appearance is the main priority, while Zirconia is best for strength and long-term durability.
The ideal crown material depends on the tooth’s location, bite force, aesthetic goals, and budget. Let us help you find the best option to achieve your dream smile.

Best crown for front teeth
At Suave Clinic, we carefully select the ideal crown material that combines function and beauty. For front teeth (anterior teeth), our dentists often recommend E.Max crowns (Ivoclar VivadentⓇ), the gold standard for a flawless, natural smile. Their exceptional translucency allows them to blend seamlessly with your natural teeth, making them virtually indistinguishable.
Best crown for back teeth
Zirconia crowns are known for their incredible strength and toughness, which makes them the best crown for teeth. Made from zirconium dioxide, they are tough enough to withstand even the most intense challenge, making them ideal for molars (back teeth) and individuals with heavy bites.
In some situations, like when patients have budget constraints or particular restorative needs, PFM crowns can still be a viable option.
Though they are less commonly chosen for front teeth or long-term cosmetic results, because PFM crowns may show a dark margin at the gums, and the porcelain layer can chip under heavy chewing.
Unlike PFM crowns, zirconia crowns do not develop dark margins at the gumline and are far more resistant to chipping or fractures, even under heavy biting forces. They offer both strength and a natural, long-lasting appearance, making them an ideal choice for both front and back teeth.
Zirconia crowns are still the best material for full-mouth crowns, especially for patients with a deep bite and who like to eat hard, crunchy food
Get the best crown cap for teeth at affordable costs in Turkey.
For those who value both time and quality, exploring dental care options abroad has become an increasingly smart choice.
Compared to the high costs and long waiting periods often faced, Dental treatments in Turkey provide a more flexible and cost-effective alternative, making it especially appealing for those who want exceptional results without disrupting their schedules.
SUAVE CLINIC offers combining high-quality materials with expert dental care for long-lasting, natural-looking results with written guarantees.
We offer cost-effective packages and deals of full mouth crowns for full-mouth reconstruction with zirconia or Emax crowns.
At Suave Clinic, we use IPS E.max from Ivoclar and IPS E.max Zircad, both of which are EU-material, German-fabricated ceramic blocks used with digital smile design software and CAD/CAM technology for precise results.
We never compromise quality for the price; we make high-quality oral care budget-friendly.
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References
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