Zirconia And E.max Veneers: Opacity, Strength And Tooth Choice

01

How Opacity And Strength Differ

The first difference is light. E.max is a lithium disilicate glass-ceramic. On the HCT price list that line is Ivoclar, at £200 a tooth. Light passes through it more as it does through enamel, which is why a front tooth can still look lively rather than chalky. A zirconia veneer is zirconium dioxide, listed at £160 a tooth. The opaque form blocks more of the colour underneath. That helps only when the tooth is dark. On a tooth that is already a normal shade, the same opacity can look dull beside the teeth next to it.

Strength is the second difference, and it is not a single number you can transfer to your own mouth. A 2019 review of these ceramics cites flexural strength for pressed E.max of about 370–460 MPa. The same review notes that traditional tetragonal zirconia lets through only about a quarter of the light that hits it, which is why it can mask a dark tooth or a metal post. Translucent zirconia, made with a share of cubic crystals, is often reported around 500–900 MPa. That is less tough than the opaque zirconia it was developed from. Making zirconia clearer gives up some of the strength people expect from the name. Those figures describe laboratory pieces. They are not a forecast for one bite. The blank in your plan is named in writing after the teeth are examined.

How The Shell Is Bonded

A glass-ceramic can be etched, so the resin locks into the inner surface of an E.max shell. Zirconia has no glass to etch, so the bond uses a different surface treatment and the cement the dentist specifies. That is one reason a zirconia veneer is not simply a stronger copy of E.max. If little enamel is left, the bond for either shell is less secure. The written plan should say how much enamel will remain before the tooth is prepared.

HCT lists E.max at £200 a tooth and a zirconia veneer at £160 a tooth. The lower line is not a reason to pick the more opaque shell. What changes a quote, including how many teeth are treated, is explained in how much veneers cost in Turkey. The fee is confirmed after the examination. This page does not set it.

02

Which Teeth Each Veneer Is Usually For

E.max is usually chosen for upper and lower front teeth, and sometimes for a premolar that shows in a wide smile, when the tooth underneath is not deeply stained and there is enamel to bond to. Incisors and canines are the common case. A molar that takes a heavy chewing load is a poor place for a thin facing of either ceramic. The bite decides that, not a photograph of a finished smile.

Front Teeth And A Dark Tooth

On a front tooth of ordinary colour, E.max is the shell that lets light through. A root-treated tooth, a metal post, or a deep stain, including the grey-brown of tetracycline-type discolouration, can show through that translucency. A more opaque zirconia veneer can hide that colour while the tooth is still restored as a facing. If the tooth is too broken down for a shell, the plan becomes a crown that covers it. Adding thickness and still calling it a veneer does not change the object. The clinical steps for the porcelain facing are on the laminate veneers in Turkey page.

Grinding And The Bite

If you clench or grind, a thin shell has more chance of chipping or coming loose. The dentist may discuss a night guard, leave a particular tooth out of the veneer plan, or use a crown on the teeth that take the load. Grinding does not automatically mean zirconia veneers for the whole smile, and it does not rule E.max out on a front tooth that can be protected. Tell the clinic before you arrange travel. The choice is written after the teeth meet on the models, not from a message that only asks which name is prettier.

03

A Veneer, A Crown And An Implant

These three words are often used as if they were one treatment. They are three objects. A veneer is a shell on the front. A crown covers the tooth. An implant replaces a root in the bone. Sharing the word zirconia does not make them interchangeable, and sharing a fee does not either.

A Shell And A Covering

A veneer covers the face of the tooth. The sides and the back stay, apart from the thin reduction on the surface that needs space. A crown covers the tooth all the way round, so more of the tooth is reduced to let the ceramic seat. The price list has a full zirconia crown at £160, the same figure as a zirconia veneer. They are different restorations. The veneer fee guide says a zirconia veneer is often planned as a full crown when the tooth is dark or worn. Ask the written line to name which of the two £160 restorations it is. A crown is the usual plan when the tooth is too weak, too filled, or too broken for a shell, including many back teeth under load. When that is the plan, read zirconia crowns in Turkey, where a crown covers the tooth. A full E.max crown is also a covering, not a veneer. This article does not turn the crown comparison into a second fee guide.

Not A Ceramic Implant

A ceramic implant is a fixture placed in the jaw where a root used to be. Patients sometimes hear zirconia and picture that fixture, or a white crown on an implant. A zirconia veneer needs a tooth to sit on. If the tooth is missing, this comparison does not apply, and neither the £160 veneer line nor the £200 E.max line replaces a root. The dentist says so before anyone talks about opacity.

04

Preparation, Risks And Care

When an E.max veneer needs space, the usual preparation at HCT is about 0.3–0.5 mm of enamel. That is a fraction of a millimetre, not a peg. Some teeth already sit far enough back that little or no enamel is removed. The dentist decides that on the tooth, not in advance for every case. Enamel that is taken away does not grow back. If a veneer later comes off and too little enamel remains, the tooth may need a crown that covers it.

Preparation is done with local anaesthetic. The tooth can be sensitive to cold for a time afterwards. Expect that possibility. Do not read this page as a description of an appointment with no discomfort.

1. 01The ColourPhotographs in daylight, and a note of any tooth that is dark, filled or root-treated.
2. 02The ToothEnamel, existing fillings, the gum and the way the teeth meet.
3. 03The Named CeramicE.max or a zirconia veneer, written down, including which teeth are shells and which, if any, are crowns.
4. 04The DepthEnamel is reduced only to the amount agreed. The usual E.max depth, when reduction is needed, is about 0.3–0.5 mm.

What Can Go Wrong

A shell can chip, crack or come off. The gum can stay irritated if the edge is bulky or cement is left behind. An opaque zirconia facing can look flat on a tooth that did not need masking. A translucent shell can let a dark root filling show through. Sensitivity can follow the reduction of enamel. A tooth that already needs root treatment should have that settled before a facing is bonded over it. Laboratory strength describes test pieces. It is not a personal forecast, and HCT does not print a percentage for how these veneers last.

Care At Home

Clean the edge where the shell meets the tooth, the same way you clean the teeth beside it. Glazed ceramic does not take up coffee and tea the way composite resin can. The margin can still discolour, and the natural teeth can still stain. A night guard is discussed if you grind. See a dentist at home for ordinary checks. Contact the clinic if a shell feels loose, the edge is sharp, or the bite hits one tooth first. Do not try to glue a facing back yourself.

05

The HCT Team And Patient Reviews

HCT sees patients in Antalya and Istanbul. A useful reply names the ceramic, the teeth, and whether any tooth needs a crown that covers it. A single material name in a message is not that plan.

Prof. Dr. Müjde Sevimay

Prosthodontics

Prof. Dr. Müjde Sevimay is the prosthodontist who plans the bite and the ceramic, including whether a tooth takes a translucent shell or a more opaque one. Ask who will examine you and who will fit the veneers.

This page is an editorial guide. It is not a record that she, or any other clinician, has signed it as a medical review.

Patient Reviews On Google

Selected Google reviews from HCT patients. These are general clinic experiences, not verified results for an E.max or zirconia veneer.

‹›

Further comments are on patient reviews.