Emax Crown

When it comes to designing your smile, Emax crowns represent one of the highest aesthetic solutions offered by modern dentistry. Emax, meaning "maximum aesthetics," perfectly mimics the natural translucency and transparency of teeth, providing a nearly indistinguishable natural tooth appearance. At Uğur Koça Dental Clinic in Yalıkavak, we are proud to offer you the most advanced Emax crown services. These monolithic (single-piece) and highly durable crowns can be applied with minimal preparation to your existing teeth, requiring no underlying support (such as zirconium).

What are Emax Crowns? (Glass-Ceramic Crowns)

Emax crowns are an advanced, superior version of Empress crowns. They are primarily based on lithium disilicate glass-ceramic. Thanks to the zirconium dioxide content in some types, the strength of Emax teeth can range from 360 Megapascals to 1000 Megapascals. This extraordinary durability makes Emax an extremely aesthetic and strong type of crown that can be successfully used anywhere in the mouth—from front teeth to back teeth, in bridges, and as implant-supported restorations. Emax crowns are completely glass-ceramic, highly transparent, very translucent, and have higher fracture resistance compared to Empress crowns.

Because Emax crowns are bonded to the tooth with an adhesive system, they allow for application with very minimal tooth preparation. This helps preserve more of the tooth's natural structure and increases the crown's strength; with minimal preparation, the strength can reach up to 500 Megapascals. Remaining in the enamel layer of the tooth is essential for adhesive bonding.

IPS Emax is a leading brand of glass-ceramic materials used in aesthetic dentistry applications, manufactured by Ivoclar in various types for different uses:

• IPS Emax Press: Produced from biocompatible lithium disilicate ceramic using a pressing method. It can withstand up to 500 Megapascals and provides a superior natural tooth appearance thanks to its excellent translucency. It is frequently used for laminate veneers.
• IPS Emax Cad: Restorations that can be produced in the clinic on the same day using CAD/CAM devices (computer-aided design and manufacturing). After crystallization is complete, they provide resistance ranging from 160 Megapascals to 500 Megapascals.
• IPS Emax ZirPress: This restoration combines the aesthetics of glass-ceramics with the durability of zirconium. It is generally prepared and applied with CAD/CAM software for posterior teeth and bridge restorations requiring high fracture resistance.

Emax Indications (Areas of Use)

Emax crowns are ideal for various aesthetic and functional needs:

• Laminate veneers: To improve the aesthetic appearance of front teeth.
• Full glass-ceramic crowns: Aesthetic restorations covering the entire tooth.
• Inlay and Onlay fillings: For large filling needs, preserving more of the tooth structure.
• Three-unit bridges: For limited missing tooth situations (the last abutment tooth can be the second premolar).
• Hybrid abutments and crowns: To provide aesthetics and durability in implant-supported restorations.

What are Empress Crowns?

Empress is a leucite glass-ceramic with a strength of 160 Megapascals, making it a material with high fracture resistance. Empress crowns are typically used for anterior teeth (canines and incisors) and as inlay-onlay porcelain fillings on premolars. They are not recommended for use as bridges or implant-supported restorations in posterior teeth, as their fracture resistance may decrease in such applications.

In Which Treatments Are Emax Crowns Applied?

Emax crowns are successfully used in a wide range of aesthetic and restorative treatments:

• In aesthetic smile design applications.
• To provide a bright appearance for discolored and stained teeth.
• For the restoration of broken and fractured teeth due to trauma.
• Aesthetic correction for mildly crowded teeth.
• In laminate veneer treatments (front surface veneers).
• To close gaps in individuals with gapped teeth (diastema).
• For tooth substance loss resulting from root canal treatment.

How Are Emax Crowns Made? (Full Ceramic Crowns)

At Uğur Koça Dental Clinic, the Emax crown treatment process offers a personalized experience:

1. Aesthetic Analysis and Preview: Before starting treatment, patient photos are taken, and aesthetic analyses are performed on these photos to create preliminary designs. These designs are applied to the patient's mouth using a special method, providing the patient with a preview of how their smile will look before any intervention to the teeth.
2. Tooth Preparation: For full ceramic crowns, less tooth preparation is required compared to zirconium crowns, but more than for laminate veneers. This preparation is kept minimal to ensure a natural and durable fit for the crown.
3. Impression Taking and Production: Precise impressions of the teeth are taken using conventional techniques or intraoral computer-aided cameras (digital impressions). Digital impressions shorten treatment time and reduce errors. After impressions are taken and necessary tooth preparation is done, the Emax crowns prepared by technicians in the laboratory are delivered to our clinic.
4. Bonding and Finishing: The prepared Emax crowns are permanently bonded to the teeth with special adhesives. The completion of the treatment varies depending on the number of teeth, but typically takes an average of 3 to 7 days.

What are the Advantages of Emax Teeth?

• Closest to Natural Teeth: It is the material with the highest translucency and is almost indistinguishable from natural teeth.
• High Durability: Extremely strong and highly tolerant to chewing forces, ensuring long-lasting use.
• No Metal Support: Does not require any metal support or substructure material, allowing for less tooth preparation and a thinner working space. No graying at the gum line.
• Custom Fit: Each Emax crown is custom-designed according to the individual's needs, ensuring a perfect fit and aesthetic.
• Preserves Tooth Structure: In addition to maximum aesthetics, it helps preserve the tooth's natural structure due to minimal tooth preparation.

What is Emax Laminate Veneer?

Laminate veneer is an aesthetic dental treatment applied, especially for anterior teeth, by removing a very small amount of enamel from the front surface or sometimes with no preparation at all. Different materials like Emax and composite are used in laminate applications. Emax is the most preferred material for laminate veneer treatments because it is highly translucent and can retain its color and brightness for a long time. Laminate treatments applied with Emax material are called "Emax laminate veneers." It is one of the most popular aesthetic dental procedures today, as it provides maximum aesthetics with minimum intervention to the tooth.

Differences Between Laminate Veneers and Emax Full Ceramic Crowns

Laminate veneers and Emax full ceramic crowns are made from the same Emax glass-ceramic material, and both are applied without any substructure. The main difference lies in the application method:

• Laminate Veneer: An aesthetic dental treatment where the veneer is bonded only to the front surface of the tooth, like a false nail, with no intervention to the back surface of the tooth. This ensures the patient feels no difference in tongue movements or speech, and the teeth only appear changed in color and shape from the front.
• Emax Full Ceramic Crown: Covers all surfaces of the tooth, providing better retention and protection to the tooth.

If a person has many fillings, a history of root canal treatment, or habits like nail-biting or teeth grinding, Emax full ceramic crowns may be preferred over laminate veneers in such cases.

Differences Between Emax and Zirconium Teeth

Emax crowns and zirconium crowns are made from different materials and have different uses:

• Material: Emax crowns are lithium disilicate glass-ceramic. Zirconium crowns are made from zirconium oxide material and are more commonly used as a substructure material.
• Aesthetics and Preparation: Emax crowns require much less tooth preparation as they don't need a substructure and are much more aesthetic due to their similarity to natural teeth.
• Durability: Zirconium is stronger and has higher fracture resistance than Emax, especially preferred for posterior teeth and longer bridges.
• Purpose of Use: Emax crowns are generally used for purely aesthetic purposes, primarily for individuals with aesthetic concerns for their anterior teeth, while zirconium crowns are preferred for functional properties and higher durability in the posterior teeth.
• Bridge Applications: Zirconium is generally preferred for longer bridge applications. However, Emax crowns can also be used for three-unit bridge applications (the last abutment tooth can be the second premolar).

The choice between both treatments depends on the individual's needs and priorities. Emax crowns are preferred for treatments where aesthetic priorities are paramount, while zirconium is the treatment type applied to individuals where health concerns are paramount.

How Long Do Emax Crowns Last?

With regular oral hygiene and routine dental check-ups every 6 months, Emax teeth can easily be used for 10-15 years or more. The surface of Emax teeth is very smooth, which also prevents tartar formation and has a strong protective effect on tooth and gum health.

How Long Does Emax Dental Treatment Take?

For individuals without gum or tooth problems, or after these problems have been treated, all treatment stages, including trial fittings, can be completed within 3-7 days on average.

Does Tooth Decay Occur Under Emax Crowns?

There is no tooth decay under an Emax crown that has been perfectly fitted and applied with all requirements met. Similarly, tooth decay is not an issue with zirconium crowns or metal-supported porcelain crowns applied with a laser system.

Can Glass-Ceramics Break?

All traumas that can break natural teeth, such as impacts, falls, or biting hard objects with teeth, can also pose a risk to Emax teeth. We should care for our crowned teeth just as we care for our natural teeth, and by doing so, we can extend their lifespan.

How to Care for Emax Crowns?

The care of Emax crowns is no different from the care of your natural teeth. Proper and consistent oral hygiene is the most important factor in extending the life of Emax teeth. Additionally, attention should be paid to brushing techniques and flossing as recommended by your dentist, and mouthwashes should be used if necessary. In general, the care for Emax teeth is no different from the care for natural teeth.