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Emax vs zirconia vs Lava crowns: which material should you choose?
Emax, zirconia, and Lava crowns compared for UK patients. Aesthetics, strength, and prices at Picasso Dental Clinic Vietnam as of May 2026.
Emax (lithium disilicate ceramic) gives the best aesthetics for front teeth and premolars. Standard zirconia gives the greatest strength for molars and patients who grind. Lava and Lava Plus bridge the gap with a zirconia core and hand-layered porcelain surface, delivering near-Emax aesthetics with near-zirconia durability, and carrying a 10-year warranty at Picasso. The right choice depends on where the tooth sits and what you ask it to do.
Choosing a crown material is not complicated when you understand what each material is optimised for. Aesthetics and durability trade off differently in the front of the mouth versus the back. This guide explains each material, its strengths and limits, and what Picasso charges for each.
Emax: the aesthetic standard for front teeth
Emax is the brand name for IPS e.max, a lithium disilicate ceramic manufactured by Ivoclar Vivadent in Liechtenstein. It has been the benchmark aesthetic crown material for visible teeth since its widespread clinical introduction in the early 2000s.
How it is made: Each Emax crown is manufactured using a pressed process. Ceramic blocks are heated and pressed under high pressure in a dental laboratory to achieve a precise fit and a consistent, translucent structure.
Why it looks natural: Lithium disilicate is slightly translucent, similar to natural tooth enamel. Light passes into the crown and reflects back in a way that closely mimics a natural tooth. Opaque white or grey-looking crowns are less likely with Emax than with older porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) crowns.
Key properties:
- Flexural strength: approximately 400 MPa
- Translucency: high
- Minimum preparation thickness: 1.0 to 1.5mm
- Best positions: upper and lower incisors, canines, premolars
At Picasso: GBP 261 per crown, 7-year warranty (as of May 2026)
Emax is not ideal for molars in patients with heavy bite loads or bruxism (teeth grinding). Its strength, while adequate for front teeth, is lower than zirconia. A fractured Emax crown on a molar in a heavy grinder is not a rare occurrence at clinics that use it indiscriminately.
Zirconia: maximum strength for molars and grinders
Zirconia is zirconium oxide, an industrial ceramic used in dental applications because of its exceptional hardness and fracture resistance. It is significantly stronger than Emax.
Standard zirconia: The original clinical formulation. Very hard, very white, and in early versions, somewhat opaque compared to natural teeth. Modern standard zirconia is still less translucent than Emax, which makes it less ideal for highly visible anterior positions.
High-translucency zirconia (CERCON HT, Ceramill Zolid): A more refined formulation that improves light transmission while retaining most of the strength advantage. The aesthetic gap between CERCON HT and Emax is substantially smaller than it was with first-generation zirconia.
Key properties (standard zirconia):
- Flexural strength: 900 to 1,200 MPa
- Translucency: lower than Emax
- Minimum thickness: 0.3 to 0.5mm (can be made thinner than Emax)
- Best positions: molars, premolars under heavy load, bruxism cases
Key properties (CERCON HT):
- Flexural strength: 600 to 800 MPa
- Translucency: improved, approaching mid-range Emax
- Best positions: premolars and first molars where visibility and strength are both needed
At Picasso (May 2026):
- Standard zirconia: GBP 203 per crown, 5-year warranty
- CERCON HT: GBP 232 per crown, 5 to 7-year warranty
Lava and Lava Plus: the premium hybrid
Lava and Lava Plus are 3M products. A Lava crown is sometimes called PFZ (porcelain fused to zirconia). The crown uses a zirconia framework as the structural core, with dental porcelain hand-layered on top.
The result is a crown that combines:
- The core strength of zirconia
- The surface aesthetics of layered ceramic, similar to Emax or better
Hand-layering requires skilled laboratory technicians. The ceramic is applied in multiple thin layers, each fired in a kiln, to build up the final shade and translucency. This process is more labour-intensive than milling a monolithic Emax or zirconia block.
Trade-off: The layered porcelain outer surface can chip, as with any layered ceramic material. In a molar position under heavy grinding force, the porcelain layer may fracture while the zirconia core remains intact. A zirconia or CERCON HT monolithic crown would be more durable in that specific scenario.
Lava vs Lava Plus: Lava Plus uses a refined porcelain layering system with improved colour depth. The aesthetic difference is visible to a trained technician and measurable; for most patients choosing between the two, Lava Plus is worth the additional GBP 29 for front teeth, but Lava is adequate for premolars and partially visible teeth.
At Picasso (May 2026):
- Lava: GBP 319 per crown, 10-year warranty
- Lava Plus: GBP 348 per crown, 10-year warranty
The 10-year warranty is the longest offered on any crown material at Picasso.
Full comparison table
| Material | Type | Aesthetics | Strength (MPa) | Best position | Picasso price | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard zirconia | Monolithic ceramic | Good | 900-1,200 | Molars | GBP 203 | 5yr |
| CERCON HT | Monolithic HT zirconia | Very good | 600-800 | Premolars, molars | GBP 232 | 5-7yr |
| Emax | Pressed ceramic | Excellent | ~400 | Front teeth, premolars | GBP 261 | 7yr |
| Lava | Zirconia + layered porcelain | Excellent | ~800 core | Front, premolars | GBP 319 | 10yr |
| Lava Plus | Zirconia + refined porcelain | Excellent | ~800 core | Front teeth | GBP 348 | 10yr |
How the dentist decides
At Picasso, crown material selection is based on four factors:
Tooth position. Front teeth (incisors and canines) almost always call for Emax or Lava Plus. Molars almost always call for zirconia or CERCON HT.
Bite force and grinding history. A patient with bruxism places high cyclic load on crowns. Zirconia’s strength advantage is significant for these patients. Dr. Emily Nguyen, Founding Clinical Director at Picasso, assesses bite patterns during the clinical examination and will not recommend Emax for a molar if the patient has a history of grinding.
Existing tooth structure. Emax requires at least 1.0mm of clearance. A heavily worn or reduced tooth may not leave this space without excessive preparation. Zirconia can be milled thinner (0.3 to 0.5mm), preserving more natural tooth structure in some cases.
Opposing dentition. All ceramics are harder than natural enamel to varying degrees. The hardness of the crown material against the opposing natural tooth affects long-term wear. The dentist considers what meets the crown from the other arch.
You can express a preference. If you want Emax on a premolar or Lava Plus on a molar, the dentist will explain whether your bite and anatomy support that choice. You will not be steered toward a more expensive material without a clinical reason.
What these materials cost in the UK
UK private crown pricing rarely specifies material in the initial quote. Ask explicitly. At a standard UK private practice:
- Emax or zirconia crown: GBP 500 to GBP 900
- Lava or layered ceramic: GBP 700 to GBP 1,200 at specialist practices
At Picasso, the range is GBP 203 to GBP 348 per crown with warranties of 5 to 10 years. For patients needing four or more crowns, the difference is substantial even after adding the cost of travel and accommodation.
A note on older materials
Porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) crowns are still available at some clinics and listed at Picasso at GBP 145 per crown. PFM crowns use a metal core (typically titanium alloy at Picasso) with porcelain fused to the surface. They are durable but the metal core creates a grey shadow at the gum line and reduces translucency compared to fully ceramic options.
PFM crowns are not recommended for aesthetic cases. They are appropriate only in situations where the tooth is not visible and budget is the primary constraint.