e.max in Dentistry: What the Trade Name Means

Patients often know a dental material by a trade name or an everyday name, much as zirconia is often called "zirconium". You may see "e.max" in a treatment plan or a quote, or in the names of treatments such as e.max crowns and e.max veneers. The name on its own leaves several things open:

• Veneer or crown. The same lithium disilicate is used for a thin veneer on the front of a tooth and for a crown that covers all of it. A veneer usually needs some enamel removed, and that cannot be reversed⁴. A crown needs far more tissue removed, from every surface of the tooth. Our e.max crowns page explains why the difference matters.
• Which material. "e.max" may mean lithium disilicate or, under the ZirCAD name, zirconia. They behave differently (see the comparison below). The listed composition of e.max CAD can include a small share of zirconium oxide among other oxides³, but that does not make it zirconia.
• Which product. Lithium disilicate is also made by other manufacturers, and related lithium-based ceramics are sold under other names.
• How it is made. Pressed in a laboratory, or milled from a block in a laboratory or at a clinic (see "Laboratory workflow").

How to know what you received

The written record is what you and any later dentist can rely on. It should name the product, for example IPS e.max CAD or IPS e.max Press. With the manufacturer and the material, that says far more than "e.max" alone. The same applies to "porcelain": a "porcelain crown" is an everyday name rather than one material, so ask which material it means for each tooth.

Ask for these details before any tooth is prepared, and for a written record after treatment. What to ask, and what to keep, is listed under "Before you travel".

The lithium disilicate e.max products are mainly used to restore single teeth. A review of the material lists inlays, onlays, veneers and partial crowns, as well as single crowns at the front of the mouth³. It also lists small three-unit bridges³ at the front and in the premolar region (the teeth just in front of the molars). For its milled product, the manufacturer also lists crowns on back teeth¹. For bridges, it lists three-unit bridges up to the second premolar as the last supporting tooth¹. This is manufacturer data.

• Veneers on front teeth, to change colour or shape. See our page on e.max veneers.
• Inlays, onlays and partial crowns, where enough of the tooth remains that a full crown is not needed. An inlay fills a gap inside the tooth; an onlay also covers one or more of the cusps (the raised chewing points).
• Single crowns at the front and, in suitable cases, at the back of the mouth.
• Bridges, in a limited range. Lithium disilicate bridges did less well in studies than metal-ceramic ones (see the comparison below).

The zirconia products sold under the e.max name are listed by the manufacturer for crowns, bridges and restorations on implants². This is manufacturer data too. Our zirconium page explains what zirconia suits and where its limits lie.

Where it is used with more caution

• Heavy clenching or grinding. This raises the risk of the ceramic cracking or chipping. Health information from the Australian government notes that veneers may not be suitable if you grind or clench your teeth⁵. Your dentist may then suggest another material. A night guard may reduce the risk of fracture, but it does not remove it.
• Very dark teeth. Thin, translucent ceramic may not hide the colour. The manufacturer offers a more opaque version of its milled product for discoloured teeth¹, and this may need more tissue removed.

Before an e.max restoration is planned, the teeth and gums are examined, with X-rays where needed. The dentist looks at decay, the gums, the bite, how much sound tooth and enamel remain, and any clenching or grinding. Your medical history and medicines are reviewed too. Decay and gum disease are treated first.

The examination decides which restoration, if any, each tooth needs; the material comes after that. If the only concern is colour or shape, whitening, composite bonding or tooth straightening may be considered first. They remove less tooth tissue, or none. For a veneer, usually only a thin layer of enamel is taken from the front. For a crown, the tooth is reduced on every surface. On a healthy tooth, a crown is not a treatment for colour alone; our dental crowns page explains when one is needed.

The ceramic needs enough room. For its milled lithium disilicate, the manufacturer gives a smallest thickness of 0.4 mm for a veneer and 1 mm for a crown¹. These are lower limits for the ceramic under the manufacturer's conditions. They are not the amount of tissue removed from your tooth.

The shade is chosen before the restoration is made. If you plan to whiten your natural teeth, say so first: whitening does not lighten crowns or veneers⁶. Our lithium disilicate page explains how enamel, shade and bite are assessed in more detail.

This section is about the lithium disilicate e.max products. The zirconia products sold under the e.max name have the benefits and limitations of zirconia.

Benefits

• It contains no metal, so no metal edge can show at the gum. The colour of the tooth underneath, or a receding gum, can still make the edge look darker.
• It lets light through in a way close to a natural tooth.
• It can be bonded to the tooth. Because it contains glass, it can be etched with acid and treated with silane (a coupling agent), which allows a strong adhesive bond⁷. This makes thin veneers and partial restorations possible.
• Its surface resists staining better than composite⁴.

Limitations

• Not as strong as zirconia. It needs enough thickness, and this affects how much of the tooth is prepared.
• Fracture. Clenching, grinding, knocks and biting hard objects can crack or chip it.
• Colour. Its colour cannot be changed after bonding⁵, and whitening does not lighten it⁶. So if the teeth beside it are whitened later, it can look darker than them. Natural teeth can also discolour over time and no longer match it⁵. Over the years, a colour difference can appear at the edge of ceramic veneers⁷.
• The tooth beneath. Preparing a tooth cannot be undone, and a restoration does not protect the tooth from decay at its edge. The tooth can become more sensitive because some enamel is removed⁵. The nerve inside the tooth can also be affected. A review pooled 37 studies of teeth that were alive before they received crowns or other indirect restorations. In about 5 in every 100 of these teeth, the nerve lost its vitality⁸. The studies followed the teeth for different lengths of time. In studies with more than ten years of follow-up, the figure was about 7 in every 100⁸. The review gives no separate figure for veneers, and the certainty of this evidence is low. These figures come from published studies, not from our own records. If the nerve dies, root canal treatment is needed to keep the tooth.

How long it lasts in studies

Studies report how many restorations are still in place after a period of time; they do not give a lifespan. Staying in place does not mean no problem or repair was needed. A 2025 review of 29 studies found about 97 in every 100 lithium disilicate veneers still in place after about 10 years⁷. It found no significant difference from feldspathic porcelain veneers. The authors name a mostly enamel-based preparation and a strong adhesive bond⁷ as keys to how long veneers last. Survival of crowns and bridges is compared in the next section. These figures come from published studies, not from our own records.

These reviews compare materials, not brands, and products differ: in a review of laboratory tests, lithium-based blocks from different manufacturers differed in composition and strength³. The 2025 veneer review found no studies that reported on lithium silicate ceramics⁷, so its figures do not cover them.

The right material depends on the tooth, the bite, the space available and what you expect of its appearance. In this section, "e.max" means the lithium disilicate products. A crown made from an e.max zirconia product should be compared as zirconia. The figures below come from published studies, not from our own records.

• Single crowns. A 2026 review of single crowns on natural teeth estimated how many of every 100 would still be in place after five years. For single-piece lithium disilicate it was about 98 to 99⁹. For metal-ceramic, single-piece zirconia and layered zirconia alike, it was about 97. The studies do not show that a stronger material stays in the mouth longer.
• Bridges. A 2026 review of bridges on natural teeth estimated that about 83 in every 100 lithium disilicate bridges were still in place after five years¹⁰. For metal-ceramic bridges, the figure was about 91. The difference was statistically significant. The figure of about 83 is for lithium disilicate only; the review reported zirconia bridges separately. Decay at the edges and loosening were more common with all-ceramic bridges¹⁰.
• Veneers. Lithium disilicate veneers have long-term study data (see above). For zirconia veneers, a 2025 review found no long-term data: the studies available followed them for an average of 2.6 years⁷. Metal-ceramic is not used for veneers.
• Wear of opposing teeth. A 2024 review pooled seven small clinical studies of crowns on back teeth, followed for up to two years. Metal-ceramic and single-piece zirconia crowns caused significantly more wear than natural teeth¹¹. Lithium disilicate crowns showed no clear difference from natural teeth in the enamel wear they caused on the opposing teeth, but the estimate was imprecise¹¹. The authors call for larger trials.
• Appearance and bonding. Even the more translucent types of zirconia still let less light through than glass ceramics¹² such as lithium disilicate. Lithium disilicate, as a glass ceramic, bonds well to the tooth, while resin bonding to zirconia can be challenging⁷. Metal-ceramic has a metal framework under the porcelain, and metal may show at its edge if the gum recedes. Our metal-ceramic and dental alloys page explains the alloys.

Our dental ceramics page explains how these materials fit into the wider ceramic family.

The manufacturer makes its lithium disilicate in two forms. IPS e.max Press is fabricated using the press technique in the dental laboratory¹. IPS e.max CAD is milled from pre-crystallised blocks and then crystallised in a furnace¹, which gives it its final strength and shade. Not every milled block works this way. Some blocks from other manufacturers, including at least one lithium disilicate block, are crystallised by the manufacturer and need no firing³.

After that, the surface is polished or glazed, and colour can be added with stains. To tailor its appearance, the biting edge of the restoration can be cut back and layered with a ceramic made for the purpose¹. In a 2026 review, single-piece lithium disilicate and zirconia crowns had significantly fewer fractures and chips than crowns with porcelain layered on top⁹. Zirconia restorations, including those sold under the e.max name, are usually milled from blocks or discs and then heated in a furnace (sintered)¹³.

Does the method matter?

Few clinical studies compare pressed and milled lithium disilicate directly. A 2025 review of lithium disilicate veneers suggested that pressed veneers may fit better at the edges and last longer¹⁴. Milled veneers fitted better inside¹⁴. Only one trial had a low risk of bias, and the authors rated the certainty of most results low or very low¹⁴.

Milling can be done in a laboratory or, where the equipment exists, at the clinic (chairside). Same-day chairside work is not assessed separately¹⁵ in the reviews we cite, so they cannot tell us whether it lasts as long as laboratory work. Our lithium disilicate page explains the evidence on both methods.

Your dentist will tell you which product will be used, and whether your restoration will be pressed or milled. They will also tell you whether it is made at the clinic or in a laboratory, and where that laboratory is. You can ask for this in writing.

• Brush twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, and clean between your teeth every day, including where the restoration meets the gum.
• Do not bite hard objects such as ice, pens or your fingernails, and do not use your teeth as tools.
• If you clench or grind your teeth, wear the night guard your dentist recommends.
• Keep up regular check-ups. National guidance in England (NICE) says the interval should be set for each person according to their risk¹⁶.
• Tell any dentist who later adjusts, repairs or re-bonds the restoration which product and material it is. Glass ceramics and zirconia are prepared for bonding in different ways.

A restoration does not protect the tooth beneath it from decay; new decay can start at its edge. See a dentist if a restoration chips, cracks, feels rough or loose, or comes off. If it comes off, keep it and do not glue it back yourself. See a dentist too if sensitivity does not settle or gets worse, or if pain starts on its own. The same applies if the gum around it swells or bleeds, if biting hurts, or if your bite feels high or uneven. If you notice a high or uneven bite before you fly home, tell the clinic. If pain keeps increasing, or you have facial swelling or a high temperature, see a dentist without waiting for the clinic's reply. Ask your own dentist for an urgent appointment, or see a dentist where you are. A dental abscess does not go away on its own and needs urgent treatment by a dentist¹⁷.

Emergencies. With a suspected dental abscess, the following need urgent medical help¹⁷. Do not wait for a dental appointment or for the clinic's reply. Go to the nearest emergency department or call the emergency number where you are.

• It is hard to breathe, speak, swallow or open your mouth
• A swollen or painful eye, or sudden problems with your eyesight
• A lot of swelling inside your mouth

Before treatment, ask in writing:

• the product name for each tooth, such as IPS e.max CAD or Press, and its manufacturer;
• whether the material is lithium disilicate or zirconia;
• which teeth will have a veneer, an onlay or a crown, and which teeth will not be treated;
• whether each restoration will be pressed or milled, and where it will be made;
• how many appointments are planned, and whether you will have temporary restorations in between;
• what happens if the work is not finished and checked before you fly home;
• what the clinic's written terms say if a restoration chips, breaks or comes off after you are home;
• what the aftercare plan says, and whom to contact if there is a problem later;
• who pays for the repair and any extra trip.

Take home for your own dentist a written record. It should show the teeth treated, the type of restoration, the product, manufacturer and material, the shade and the laboratory. Keep your written aftercare plan with it. In Turkey, the health tourism regulation entitles international patients to an itemised bill. On request, they also get copies of the records of the materials used, the tests and the imaging, without charge¹⁸. In private dental facilities in Turkey, a consent form is required for every intervention¹⁹. Two copies of the form are signed, and one is given to you²⁰. Ask for your copy.

Aftercare. Problems after you return are usually first seen by your own dentist near your home. Before you go, ask your dentist whether they will see you afterwards. If you do not have a dentist where you live, it helps to find one before you travel. In an emergency, do not wait for the clinic's reply. Go to the nearest emergency department or call the emergency number where you are. What a health service or an insurer covers after treatment abroad differs from country to country. Ask the health service or your insurer where you live what they would cover.

Your choice. A second opinion from a dentist near your home gives you a point of comparison, and having treatment there remains an option. You can say no, or ask to stop, at any stage. Once a tooth has been prepared, that step cannot be undone.

More questions to ask before treatment abroad are listed on our page about e.max crowns and veneers.