Explains what makes an all-ceramic crown metal-free and aesthetically close to natural teeth, and why ceramic brittleness makes material and preparation choices decisive. Compares ceramic groups in a table, from feldspathic porcelain to zirconia, with approximate strength figures shown in a diagram. Covers layered versus monolithic construction, indications and contraindications, preparation steps, cementation methods, and a closing table of advantages and disadvantages.
Topic 42 of 75 in the MU Sofia syllabus for Preclinics of Dental Prosthetics (Dental Medicine, Year 2). The free AceMed note covers it in 7 sections, about 175 words (2 min of reading), with 14 flashcards.
In this note
Introduction
Ceramic materials
Two ways to build a crown
Indications and contraindications
Preparation
Cementation
Advantages and disadvantages
Introduction
An all-ceramic crown has no metal at all. Ceramics can copy the colour, surface texture and translucency of natural teeth so closely that a well-made crown is almost invisible. The trade-off is that ceramics are brittle, so material choice and preparation decide whether the crown survives.
Two ways to build a crown
Layered: the technician builds up several porcelains (dentin, enamel, incisal) on a ceramic core: the most lifelike colour.
Monolithic: milled from one block by CAD/CAM (or pressed): stronger and quicker, but one shade, less translucent; characterized with stains.
Preparation
Shoulder (or deep chamfer) about 1 mm wide all around, with a rounded internal angle.
Incisal or occlusal reduction 1.5–2 mm.
Margins at or above the gingiva, which suits adhesive cementation.
No undercuts, no sharp edges or right angles: ceramics crack from stress at sharp corners.
Uniform reduction so the ceramic has an even thickness.
Cementation
Glass-ceramics are bonded adhesively: the inside is etched and silanized, then luted with a composite cement, which raises the crown's strength and lets its translucency show. Zirconia can be cemented conventionally (glass-ionomer) or adhesively after sandblasting.
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