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Emax Crowns and Onlays

Emax and Zirconia are both a relatively new type of porcelain material that has quickly become the state of the art in dentistry. Emax is a brand name for a crown made from Lithium Disilicate.  It is a porcelain that is manufactured from a solid block: making it “monolithic”.  This infers that the material is one solid material that renders it very strong.  Compared to the classic: Porcelain fused to metal crown that was the standard for decades, there is no junction or fusion of porcelain to any metal, which minimizes the possibility of chipping or breaking, while eliminating the infamous “dark line” that was an issue for older crowns at the gumline.

Ask any dentist that has needed to remove an old emax restoration that has been bonded and they will concur that it is a very strong material. However, the main advantage of Emax is its exceptional esthetics.  Natural translucency can be incorporated, along with the ability to mask an underlying dark tooth.

Emax can be used for crowns, onlays and porcelain veneers.  An onlay restoration is an excellent alternative to a crown whenever conditions permit.  There is less drilling and more conservation of tooth structure, yet these restorations, if properly done can provide all the strength and protections of a crown.

Finally, most emax restorations are bonded to tooth structure, as opposed to the typical “cementation” of other crowns.  This bonding process greatly increases the strength of the crown, as well as minimizes the possibility of future crown displacement.

Zirconia crowns were originally manufactured to cater to people who grind their teeth (teeth grinding: “Bruxism”) and were first labeled as “Bruxzir” crowns. These are now considered the strongest of all crown choices and the esthetics have become quite excellent! Dr. Goldy employs Zirconia crowns for most posterior (back) teeth.