E-max crowns in Turkey: the natural-looking one
E-max is the crown people pick when the tooth has to look real up close. It is a glass-ceramic that lets light through, a bit like enamel does. It is strong enough for most single crowns, but not for every mouth.
Medically reviewed by Dt. Hüseyin Yavuz Özbek, implant surgeon · Updated October 2026An E-max crown is made of lithium disilicate glass-ceramic (IPS e.max is Ivoclar's brand). It is the most lifelike option for front teeth because it lets light pass through like enamel, and it is bonded to the tooth. Its manufacturer quotes a flexural strength of 530 MPa for the CAD version, and a 2026 review found 98.5% five-year survival for solid lithium disilicate crowns. For long bridges or heavy grinders, zirconia is usually safer. At Precious Dental an E-max crown is £225 per tooth.
- Price
- £225 per tooth
- 8 E-max crowns
- £2,200
- Visit
- one trip
- Guarantee
- 5 years
What E-max is
E-max is shorthand for IPS e.max, a family of lithium disilicate glass-ceramics made by Ivoclar. (E-max is their trademark; we are not affiliated with Ivoclar, and other makers produce lithium disilicate too.) The material is a glass filled with tiny needle-shaped crystals. The glass gives it translucency; the crystals give it strength.
For the machined version used in most digital workflows, the manufacturer quotes a biaxial flexural strength of 530 MPa and lists crowns, veneers, inlays, onlays and three-unit bridges up to the premolar among its uses. That makes it strong enough for most single crowns, front and back, though not the toughest option on the market.
Why it looks so natural
Natural enamel is not solid white. Light goes into it, scatters and comes back out, which is why healthy teeth look slightly see-through at the edges. Lithium disilicate behaves in a similar way, so an E-max crown picks up the colour of the tooth and the light around it instead of reflecting it back flat. That is the main reason it is so popular for the six front teeth, and especially when only one or two front teeth need crowns and they have to match their neighbours. Matching one front crown is one of the hardest jobs in dentistry; our article on matching a single front crown explains why.
What the research shows
In the 2015 Dental Materials review of single crowns, lithium disilicate and leucite glass-ceramic crowns had about 97% five-year survival, similar to metal-ceramic. The 2026 update separated solid from layered crowns and found 98.5% five-year survival for monolithic lithium disilicate, the highest of any material in the review, with less chipping than layered versions.
When E-max is the right call, and when it isn't
| Situation | E-max? |
|---|---|
| One or two front teeth that must match | Often the best choice |
| Front teeth in a smile makeover | Common choice, often with zirconia behind |
| A single back tooth, normal bite | Possible; zirconia is also common |
| Heavy grinding or clenching | Usually zirconia instead |
| A bridge longer than three units | Usually zirconia instead |
At Precious Dental, for heavy grinders or long bridges we may recommend zirconia instead of E-max. The plan says which material goes on which tooth and why.
Bonded, not just cemented
Glass-ceramics can be etched and chemically bonded to the tooth with resin cement. That bond adds strength to the crown and seals the edge. It also means the technique has to be careful: the tooth must be kept dry and clean while the crown goes on. Read how crowns are cemented for the difference between bonding and conventional cement.
E-max crown or E-max veneer?
This is where a lot of confusion, and some of the "Turkey teeth" horror stories, start. The same material is used for laminate veneers, which cover only the front of a tooth, and for full crowns. Some price lists call crowns "full veneers". A laminate veneer may need a fraction of a millimetre off the front of the tooth; a crown needs the tooth reduced all the way round. If you have healthy teeth, the difference matters enormously. See crowns vs veneers.
Price and trip
An E-max crown at Precious Dental is £225 per tooth. Packages with hotel and transfers start at £2,200 for 8 crowns; all package sizes are on crown prices. E-max crowns are made in one visit, usually over about five to seven days, and the exact dates are in your written plan. After a try-in, the crowns are bonded and polished.
Common questions
Are E-max crowns better than zirconia?
Not better, different. E-max usually looks more natural; zirconia is stronger. For front teeth that must match your own, E-max is often first choice. For back teeth, bridges and grinders, zirconia usually is.
Is E-max the same as porcelain?
It is a ceramic, but not the traditional feldspathic porcelain used on metal-ceramic crowns. Lithium disilicate is a glass-ceramic reinforced with crystals, which makes it much stronger than conventional porcelain.
Are E-max veneers and E-max crowns the same?
No. An E-max laminate veneer covers only the front of the tooth; an E-max crown (sometimes called a "full veneer") covers the whole tooth, so much more tooth is removed. Always ask which one is in your plan.
How long do E-max crowns last?
A 2026 systematic review found five-year survival of 98.5% for solid lithium disilicate single crowns, the highest of the materials compared. Long-term life also depends on your gums, the tooth underneath and check-ups.
How much are E-max crowns in Turkey?
At Precious Dental an E-max crown is £225 per tooth. Packages run from £2,200 for 8 crowns to £4,500 for 20, with hotel and transfers. See crown prices.
Sources
- Ivoclar. IPS e.max CAD (manufacturer information: lithium disilicate, 530 MPa flexural strength, indications)
- Pjetursson BE et al. (2026). Survival, failure and complication rates of metal-ceramic, veneered and monolithic all-ceramic single crowns, Part 1. Int J Prosthodont
- Sailer I et al. (2015). All-ceramic or metal-ceramic tooth-supported fixed dental prostheses? Part I: Single crowns. Dent Mater
- Edelhoff D, Sorensen JA (2002). Tooth structure removal associated with various preparation designs for anterior teeth. J Prosthet Dent
- Oral Health Foundation. Crowns
Checked October 2026. Where we give our own view as a clinic, we say so.
Send a selfie smile. Get a written crown plan.
A few photos of your teeth or a recent X-ray is enough to start. A dentist looks at them and you get a written plan: which teeth, which material, why, and the price in pounds. If you don't need crowns, we'll tell you.