Crown Materials Compared: Zirconia, Lithium Disilicate, Porcelain-Fused-to-Metal and Gold
This page compares zirconia, lithium disilicate and porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns on strength, appearance, tooth removal and wear on opposing teeth, and gold on survival and wear. A 2026 meta-analysis found lithium disilicate and zirconia crowns survived about as well as metal-ceramic crowns at five years.
5.0 from 550+ Google reviews
Open 8am to 8pm, seven days
Free parking at the door
CQC & GDC registered
No referral needed
Clinically reviewed by Dr Ibraheem Ijaz, dentist · GDC 301711
Medical disclaimer: This page is for general information only. It does not replace an examination or treatment by a dentist.
Dr Ibraheem Ijaz, principal dentist at Deepcar Dental Care and a General Dental Practitioner (GDC 301711), reviewed this page.
How do crown materials differ?
Crown materials differ in strength, colour, the thickness they need and how much they wear the teeth they bite against.
A Cork University Dental School leaflet groups crowns as all-metal, such as gold, porcelain fused to metal, or all-ceramic. A 2019 review (Zarone and colleagues) describes lithium disilicate, a glass-ceramic, and zirconia, a polycrystalline ceramic, as versatile metal-free materials. Each can be monolithic, one material throughout, or layered with veneering porcelain, and both can be milled from blocks, as our page on computer-designed restorations explains.
| Material (general research) | Survival in clinical reviews | Appearance | Thickness or tooth removal (measures differ) | Wear on opposing teeth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zirconia | 96.8% at 5 years monolithic, 97.3% veneered (2026) | More opaque than glass-ceramics | Crown from 0.5 mm monolithic, molar laboratory tests; 1.0 to 1.5 mm layered (2019) | Less than metal-ceramic (2019, 2024); reviews differ on natural teeth |
| Lithium disilicate | 98.5% at 5 years monolithic, 95.7% veneered leucite or lithium disilicate glass-ceramics (2026) | About 30% more translucent than conventional zirconia | Milled back-tooth crown at least 1.5 mm, laboratory tests (2016) | No clear difference from natural teeth in one clinical analysis (2024) |
| Porcelain fused to metal | 97.1% at 5 years (2026) | Tooth-coloured porcelain over metal | Tooth reduced 1.4 mm cheek side, metal-supported design, model teeth (2002) | Most of the crowns compared in one clinical analysis (2024) |
For gold alloy crowns, one trial in a 2017 Cochrane review found some very low-quality evidence of fewer failures than full-contour zirconia at five years, though not at one year or in complications. A 2006 laboratory test found gold among the least abrasive materials to opposing enamel.
How strong are crown materials, and which lasts longest?
In laboratory tests zirconia is stronger than lithium disilicate, while a 2026 meta-analysis found both survive about as well as metal-ceramic crowns.
Zarone's 2019 review gives zirconia a flexural strength of 500 to 1,200 MPa and one pressed lithium disilicate 370 to 460 MPa. The 2026 meta-analysis (Pjetursson and colleagues) pooled 64 studies of 11,560 tooth-supported crowns, each study with a mean follow-up of at least 3 years; feldspathic ceramic crowns did worst, at 90.4% five-year survival.
An earlier 2015 review (Sailer and colleagues) found zirconia crowns were lost more often than metal-ceramic ones through fracture of the veneering porcelain and came loose more often, with more framework fractures in all-ceramic crowns. It advised against zirconia as a first choice then, because of its high rate of technical problems. Our page on how long dental crowns last covers lifespan in general.
Which crown material looks most natural?
Of the ceramics, lithium disilicate lets more light through than zirconia, which reviews describe as more opaque.
Zarone's 2019 review prefers newer translucent zirconia, which is weaker, for front teeth up to the first premolars in monolithic form. A 2021 systematic review of laboratory studies found them still less translucent than glass-ceramics. Our guide to matching the colour of a restoration covers how a crown's shade is chosen.
How much tooth do crown materials need removed?
A tooth is shaped to make space for the crown, so each material's minimum thickness affects how much is removed.
In a 2002 laboratory study on model back teeth (Edelhoff and Sorensen), an all-ceramic crown design with 0.8 mm of reduction all round removed 67.5% of the tooth above the root, and a metal-supported crown design with 1.4 mm on the cheek side removed 75.6%. Inlay preparations in that study removed far less, and inlays and onlays have their own page.
Do crowns wear down the opposing teeth?
Ceramic crowns wear opposing teeth more than natural enamel does, a 2024 network meta-analysis found, and the amount varied with the material.
That analysis (Mao and colleagues) pooled 7 clinical studies of 261 back-tooth crowns over up to 24 months. Compared with natural-on-natural wear, metal-ceramic caused 82.5 µm and zirconia 40.1 µm more enamel height loss; lithium disilicate's 5.0 µm had a confidence interval including no difference. The authors noted the studies were few and small.
Reviews disagree on zirconia: a 2025 network meta-analysis of trials at moderate to high risk of bias found more wear against every crown type studied, polished zirconia included, but a 2022 meta-analysis concluded zirconia causes the least wear, over time no more than natural wear, and a 2024 umbrella review found the same for polished zirconia, with less wear than metal-ceramic, feldspathic or lithium disilicate crowns.
To ask about dental crowns, book online or call 0114 288 2121.
Which crown materials suit front and back teeth?
A 2026 meta-analysis found most crown types performed similarly at the front and back of the mouth, except feldspathic ceramic and metal-ceramic crowns.
Sailer's 2015 review found feldspathic and zirconia crowns survived less well on back teeth, and advised limiting weaker feldspathic ceramics to front teeth. Zarone's 2019 review supports monolithic zirconia on back teeth and on front-tooth surfaces that do not show, keeping layered zirconia mainly for highly aesthetic areas.
How is a crown material chosen?
In general, a dentist talks through each type of crown and recommends one for the particular case, a Cork dental school leaflet says.
A 2002 British Dental Journal article names strength, fit, appearance, wear, bite control and biocompatibility among the concerns.
Where are crown fees listed?
The practice's fee list on 28 October 2026 includes the line "All Ceramic Crowns & Veneers From £750 - £1000".
The fee list says all its prices are "from" prices, based on individual clinical needs. Our page about restorative treatment costs has more on fees.
What should you know about crowns at Deepcar Dental Care?
At Deepcar Dental Care, a crown takes 2 to 3 visits, with around 1 week from preparation to fitting.
The realistic lifespan range for a crown is 5 to 20 years. Outcomes depend on the individual patient, their oral hygiene and their habits.
12 months of aftercare cover applies to fillings, crowns and bridges, dentures, and porcelain veneers. The cover gives free repair, free replacement or remake, and free adjustments. It does not apply where damage results from accidental trauma or infection, and for dentures, gum recession is also excluded.
No overseas laboratory work is used, and work goes to more than one laboratory, chosen to suit the case.
Where do crowns fit in restorative dentistry?
Crowns are one way of repairing and rebuilding damaged teeth, saving natural teeth rather than replacing them with implants. Our page on dental crowns explains when a tooth needs full coverage.
Frequently asked questions
Do metal-free crowns perform better than metal-ceramic ones?
Trial evidence is too uncertain to say. A 2017 Cochrane review of nine randomised trials of crowns, bridges and implant restorations found insufficient, very low-quality evidence to support or refute metal-free materials over metal-ceramic or other standard restorations. Until more evidence is available, it advised clinicians to choose by their own clinical experience and each patient's circumstances and preferences.
Do crowns affect MRI scans?
The evidence for crowns is unclear. A 2022 systematic review of 19 clinical studies found MRI artefacts well documented for orthodontic appliances, but data on implants and restorations scarce and inconclusive. Severity, it said, depends on the material, its position in the mouth and the scan settings.
Does adjusting a ceramic crown affect the opposite tooth?
It can. A 2016 review reports laboratory findings that polishing a ceramic surface reduced opposing enamel wear, supporting polishing after the bite on a lithium disilicate or zirconia crown is adjusted. A 2024 umbrella review found polished zirconia caused less enamel wear than glazed.
Are single-material ceramic crowns less likely to chip?
Yes, in pooled clinical studies. A 2026 meta-analysis found monolithic lithium disilicate and zirconia crowns had significantly fewer ceramic fractures and chipping than veneered ones, which have porcelain layered over a core. Its authors concluded monolithic designs reduce fracture and chipping risk.
Can a crown hide a darkened tooth?
Zirconia's opacity can help. A 2019 review reports that tetragonal zirconia lets only about 25% of incident light through, which can mask dark teeth. Teeth darken for several reasons, explained on our page about a dark or dead tooth, so show a darkened tooth to a dentist.
Book a consultation.
Online in under a minute, or call and speak to a real person.
Deepcar Dental Care is at 334 Manchester Road, Deepcar, Sheffield, S36 2RH, open 8am to 8pm, Monday to Sunday. Patient feedback is on the practice's reviews page.
334 Manchester Road
Deepcar, Sheffield S36 2RH
0114 288 2121
Contact us
Opening hours
Open 8am to 8pm, seven days
Free parking at the door