Every dental ceramic trades strength against translucency. Creative Art Dental Lab works in five of them, and the dentist and the lab choose together which one belongs on each tooth.
Patients book with the clinic. Dentists can contact the lab on +971 56 979 2929.
Creative Art Dental Lab in Dubai works in five dental ceramics: feldspathic porcelain, lithium disilicate (E-max), layered zirconia, monolithic zirconia and pink gingival ceramic. Feldspathic porcelain is the most translucent and the most delicate; zirconia is the strongest and the most opaque; E-max sits between them. The dentist and the lab choose the ceramic for each tooth from its position, the bite, the colour underneath and the space available.
Lab times are typical, not promises. Crowns and veneers are not made on the same day.
Dental ceramics sit on a scale between glass and crystal. The more glass a ceramic contains, the more light passes through it and the more it behaves like enamel, but the weaker it is. The more crystalline it is, the stronger and tougher it becomes, and the more it blocks light. No material is at the top of both scales, so every choice is a balance.
The second difference is how the ceramic attaches to the tooth. Glass-based ceramics, feldspathic porcelain and E-max, can be etched and bonded with adhesive to enamel, and that bond adds to their strength. Zirconia does not etch in the same way; it is strong enough on its own and is cemented or bonded with dedicated primers. That is one reason thin veneers are usually glass-ceramic and back-tooth crowns are often zirconia. Choosing the ceramic is part of the treatment plan, not a menu upgrade: a front tooth, a molar in someone who grinds and a grey root-treated tooth may each need a different material in the same mouth.
Strength and translucency are described relative to each other. The right material depends on the tooth.
The most lifelike, the most delicate
The everyday aesthetic ceramic
Strength underneath, ceramic on the surface
Maximum strength, no layer to chip
Rebuilding the gum as well as the teeth
Common patterns in practice. The dentist's examination and the lab's design decide each case.
| Restoration | Ceramics usually considered | What decides it |
|---|---|---|
| Thin veneers on sound enamel | Feldspathic porcelain or E-max | Enamel for bonding and the translucency needed |
| Standard veneers | E-max | Strength with natural light handling |
| Front crowns | E-max or layered zirconia | Colour underneath and the bite |
| Back-tooth crowns | Monolithic zirconia; E-max if space allows | Chewing load, grinding, thickness |
| Bridges | Zirconia, layered at the front | Span length and connector load |
| Implant crowns | Zirconia-based, layered where they show | Position and the fixing method |
| Full-arch implant prostheses | Ceramic teeth with pink gingival ceramic | How much gum and bone are lost |
Detailed patient guides: types of dental crowns and types of veneers.
A translucent ceramic shows some of whatever is behind it. On a tooth of normal colour that is an advantage: the natural tooth contributes depth, and E-max or feldspathic porcelain looks alive. On a tooth that is grey after root canal treatment, or on a metal post, the same translucency lets the dark colour show through.
So the lab needs to see the prepared tooth, not only the neighbouring shade. Our guide to custom shade matching explains the process, and hand-layered ceramics shows how depth and edge translucency are built in.
The material is decided before anything is made, then checked again at try-in.
The dentist assesses the tooth, bite, gums and any grinding, and takes a scan and photographs.
ClinicThe restoration, preferred ceramic, shade and the colour of the tooth underneath are specified.
Clinic to labFor clinic patients, the ceramist sees the teeth under the same light as the dentist.
Same buildingThe restoration is designed on screen, with thickness checked against what the ceramic needs.
CADThe ceramic is milled, then stained and glazed or layered by hand.
CAM and hand workFit, bite and shade are checked in the mouth; small adjustments can often be made the same day.
Clinic
When several teeth have been missing for a long time, the bone and gum shrink. If replacement teeth are made only to the level of the remaining gum, they look too long. Pink gingival ceramic restores the missing gum contour as part of the prosthesis, so the teeth can be a natural length.
It is used most often on implant-supported full-arch prostheses, and sometimes on bridges over a ridge that has shrunk. The pink ceramic is shaded to blend with the patient's own gum and shaped so that it can still be cleaned underneath. The dentist plans and places the implants; the lab designs and makes what sits on them. See implant restorations and full mouth implants.
The laboratory that makes your ceramic work is in the same building as the clinic. The ceramist can see your teeth under the same light as your dentist, rather than working from photographs sent to an outside supplier — which is where shade, surface texture and edge translucency are decided.
Specify the ceramic, or ask the lab to advise from the scan and photographs, including the prepared tooth if it is discoloured. Collection and delivery within Dubai can be coordinated. Contact the lab on +971 56 979 2929 or [email protected], see how to send a case, or use the lab inquiry form.
The dentist examines the tooth and chooses the restoration with the lab; the lab designs and makes it.
E-max is a glass-ceramic made of lithium disilicate. "Porcelain" is often used loosely for all dental ceramics, but strictly it refers to feldspathic porcelain, which is weaker and more translucent. E-max is several times stronger than feldspathic porcelain while still handling light in a natural way, which is why it is used for most veneers.
Zirconia is the strongest dental ceramic, and monolithic zirconia, made as one solid piece, has no surface layer that can chip. That makes it the usual choice for back teeth and for people who grind. Layered zirconia has the same strong core, but its hand-layered surface can chip under heavy load.
Feldspathic porcelain is the most translucent dental ceramic, followed closely by E-max, so both can look very natural on a tooth of normal colour. On a dark tooth, layered zirconia often looks more natural because it hides the colour underneath. The ceramist's layering and shade work matter as much as the ceramic itself.
Yes, and it is common. A smile may combine E-max veneers with zirconia crowns on root-treated or heavily filled teeth. The lab adjusts thickness, opacity and layering so the different ceramics read as one set, which is easier when the ceramist can see the patient's teeth in person.
Full-arch implant prostheses made in our lab use ceramic teeth with pink gingival ceramic on a framework, so missing gum can be restored as well as teeth. The exact design depends on bone loss, the bite and how the dentist plans the implants. The dentist places the implants; the lab makes the prosthesis.
Yes. At try-in the dentist checks fit, contacts, bite and shade, and small changes to shape or surface colour can often be made the same day in the lab before the restoration is fitted. A larger change in shade or form may mean remaking it, which takes the usual lab time.
Tell us what you would like to change. The clinic replies within working hours with an appointment time.
Or call us +971 4 342 4444Or message us on WhatsApp
Start with a consultation at the clinic: an examination, a scan and a written, itemised plan that names the material for each tooth and the alternatives.
