Lithium Disilicate Glass Ceramic

Lithium disilicate is 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 mouth¹. It also lists small three-unit bridges¹ at the front and in the premolar region (the teeth just in front of the molars). For its milled product, one manufacturer also lists crowns on back teeth²; this is manufacturer data.

Where it is often chosen

• Veneers on front teeth, to change colour or shape. See our page on veneers in this ceramic.
• Inlays, onlays and partial crowns, where enough of the tooth remains that a full crown is not needed. An onlay 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. See our page on crowns in this ceramic.

Where it is used with more caution

• Bridges. A 2026 review of bridges on natural teeth found about 83 in every 100 lithium disilicate bridges still in place after five years³. For metal-ceramic bridges, the figure was about 91. The difference was statistically significant. Decay at the edges and loosening were more common with all-ceramic bridges³. These figures come from published studies, not from our own records. For bridges, the manufacturer of one milled product lists three-unit bridges up to the second premolar as the last supporting tooth².
• Heavy clenching or grinding. It raises the risk of the ceramic fracturing. Health information from the Australian government notes that veneers may not be suitable if you grind or clench your teeth⁴. Another material, or a night guard, may be considered.
• Very dark teeth. Thin, translucent ceramic may not hide the colour. One manufacturer offers a more opaque version for discoloured teeth², and this may need more tissue removed.

Strength

Strength figures for dental ceramics come from laboratory bending tests, and they vary with the test method. In independent studies of one milled lithium disilicate block, a three-point bending test gave values from about 210 to 470 MPa¹. Most results lay between about 340 and 400 MPa. MPa (megapascals) is a unit of stress. The manufacturer reports 530 MPa in its own biaxial test²; this is manufacturer data from a different test. Zirconia is stronger, which is one reason it is chosen more often for back teeth and bridges.

An international standard for dental ceramics, ISO 6872, sorts ceramics into classes by their minimum flexural strength, from 50 to 800 MPa⁵. The class decides which restorations a ceramic may be used for.

Laboratory strength does not translate directly into how long a restoration lasts. For single crowns on natural teeth, survival in studies was close across lithium disilicate, zirconia and metal-ceramic (see "Benefits and limitations").

Thickness and space

Ceramics are much weaker in tension than in compression¹: they resist being squeezed far better than being bent or pulled. A ceramic restoration therefore needs enough thickness and good support from the tooth. For its milled product, the manufacturer gives a smallest thickness of 0.4 mm for a veneer and 1 mm for a crown². These are lower limits for the ceramic under the manufacturer's conditions. They are not the amount of tissue removed from your tooth.

Appearance

It lets light through in a way close to a natural tooth. One manufacturer offers its milled blocks in four levels of translucency², including a more opaque version for discoloured teeth. Compared with ceramic, composite is easier to fix if damaged, but not as stain- or wear-resistant⁶.

Bonding

Because it contains a glass phase, it can be etched with acid and treated with silane, which allows a strong adhesive bond⁷. Bonding to zirconia is more difficult. How it is bonded or cemented is explained below.

Before a lithium disilicate 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, the tooth needs. If the only concern is colour, shape or position, 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, so far more tissue is removed. An inlay or onlay can keep more of the tooth than a full crown. Either way, the tissue removed does not grow back⁶. Our dental crowns page explains when a crown is needed and when it is not.

Keeping enamel

For veneers, the aim is to keep the preparation within the enamel. A study followed 580 porcelain veneers, not specifically lithium disilicate ones, for up to 12 years. 99 in 100 survived where the preparation stayed in enamel⁸. Veneers bonded to the dentine beneath were about 10 times as likely to fail⁸. These figures come from published studies, not from our own records.

Choosing the shade

The shade is chosen before the restoration is made, usually with a shade guide. A review found that choosing shade by eye alone has lower accuracy and repeatability⁹, so photographs or a measuring instrument may be used as well. The authors of a 2025 review do not recommend choosing the shade with an intraoral scanner¹⁰. If you plan to whiten your natural teeth, say so before the shade is chosen: whitening does not lighten crowns or veneers¹¹.

Lithium disilicate restorations are made in one of two main ways. Both start from an impression or a digital scan of the prepared tooth.

• Pressed. In a dental laboratory, the ceramic is heated and pressed into a mould of the restoration. Heat-pressing is one of the conventional ways of making ceramic veneers⁷.
• Milled (CAD/CAM). The restoration is designed on a computer and milled from a ceramic block. Some blocks are milled in a partly crystallised, bluish state. In one such block, the material is then weaker, at around 130 MPa, and easier to mill¹. After milling it is fired in a furnace, which completes the crystals and brings its final strength, shade and translucency¹. Other blocks, including at least one lithium disilicate block, are crystallised by the manufacturer and need no firing¹.

Milling can be done in a laboratory or, where the equipment exists, at the dental clinic (chairside). The surface is then polished or glazed, and colour can be added with stains. For more lifelike edges, part of the restoration can be cut back and layered with porcelain². In a 2026 review, single-piece lithium disilicate and zirconia crowns had significantly fewer fractures and chips than crowns with porcelain layered on top¹².

Does the method matter?

Few clinical studies compare pressed and milled lithium disilicate directly. A 2025 review of lithium disilicate veneers included eight studies, two of them laboratory studies. It reported that pressed veneers fitted better at the edges and had higher survival over up to 10 years, while milled veneers had a better internal fit¹³. But only one trial had a low risk of bias, and the authors rated the certainty of most results low or very low¹³. Another 2025 review, of veneers in several ceramics, could not analyse the effect of the fabrication method⁷.

A 2019 review pooled 14 clinical studies comparing ceramic restorations made by CAD/CAM with conventionally made ones. CAD/CAM restorations failed more often: 2.62 against 1.48 failures for every 100 restorations followed for a year¹⁴. That review covered several ceramics and included laboratory milling. Its search ended in 2017, so it may not reflect current materials and machines. Same-day chairside work is not assessed separately¹⁴, so these reviews cannot tell us whether it lasts as long as laboratory work. These figures come from published studies, not from our own records. Our CAD/CAM page explains the technology.

Ask the clinic whether your restoration will be pressed or milled, and whether it is made at the clinic or in a laboratory.

Lithium disilicate can be bonded to the tooth with an adhesive. This is one of its main differences from zirconia. Before bonding, the fitting surface of the ceramic is etched with acid and treated with silane⁷. Silane is a coupling agent that helps the adhesive grip the ceramic.

• Veneers are bonded. A thin veneer depends on its bond. A 2025 review names a mostly enamel-based preparation and a strong adhesive bond⁷ as keys to how long veneers last.
• Crowns made from one manufacturer's milled product can be fixed adhesively, self-adhesively or with conventional cement², depending on the clinical situation. This is manufacturer data. Ask your dentist which method is planned for your tooth, and why.

Try-in and fitting

Before the restoration is fixed, the fit, the edges, the colour and the bite are checked in the mouth. The colour of a veneer cannot be changed⁴ after it has been bonded, so this is the moment to say if the shade looks wrong. After fitting, excess material is removed and the bite is adjusted. The bite and the fit at the gum are usually checked again at a review appointment; ask when and where it will be.

Benefits

• It contains no metal, so no metal edge can show at the gum.
• It lets light through in a way close to a natural tooth.
• It can be bonded, which allows thin veneers and partial restorations that keep more of the tooth.
• Its surface resists staining better than composite⁶.
• There are long-term study data for it as a veneer and as a single crown (see below).

Limitations

• Not as strong as zirconia. It needs enough thickness, and this affects how much of the tooth is prepared.
• Bridges. Lithium disilicate bridges did less well in studies than metal-ceramic bridges (see "Common restorative uses").
• Fracture. Clenching, grinding, knocks and biting hard objects can crack or chip it.
• Dark teeth. Thin, translucent ceramic may not hide a dark tooth; a more opaque version may need more tissue removed.
• Fixed colour. Its colour does not change after bonding, and whitening does not lighten it¹¹.
• The tooth beneath. Preparing a tooth cannot be undone, and the tooth will need a restoration from then on. A restoration does not protect the tooth from decay, which can start at its edge. 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 vitality¹⁵, and root canal treatment is then needed to keep the tooth. The review gives no separate figure for veneers, and the certainty of this evidence is low. This figure comes from published studies, not from our own records.

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. The figures below come from published studies, not from our own records.

• Veneers. 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.
• Single crowns. A 2026 review looked at single crowns on natural teeth. For single-piece lithium disilicate crowns, it estimated that about 98 to 99 in every 100¹² were still in place after five years. For metal-ceramic and single-piece zirconia crowns, the figure was about 97.
• Bridges. Survival was lower, as described above under common uses.

Fracture and chipping

In a review of 25 studies, fracture and coming loose were the main reasons ceramic veneers failed¹⁶, mostly in the early years. A 2025 review pooled 29 studies of veneers in several ceramics. At an average follow-up of 10.4 years, 4.3% of ceramic veneers cracked, 3.5% chipped and 2.5% fractured completely⁷. In 2.2%, the veneer came off. The results varied widely between the studies. These figures come from published studies, not from our own records. In the same review, lithium disilicate veneers had slightly fewer technical and biological complications⁷ than feldspathic and leucite-reinforced ones. The authors link this to its interlocking crystals, which limit how a crack spreads.

The risk of fracture rises with clenching or grinding, with ceramic that is too thin, and with biting hard objects. In a small study of people who clenched or ground their teeth, those who wore a night guard had fewer veneer fractures¹⁷. The study was not randomised: a night guard may reduce the risk, but it does not remove it.

Wear

Ceramic resists wear better than composite⁶. It can also wear down the natural teeth it bites against. A 2024 review pooled seven small clinical studies of crowns on back teeth, followed for up to two years. Opposite lithium disilicate crowns, the loss of enamel differed little from the wear natural teeth cause on each other, though the estimate was imprecise¹⁸. Metal-ceramic and zirconia crowns caused significantly more wear than natural teeth¹⁸. The authors call for larger trials. If you clench or grind your teeth, tell your dentist.

Repair

Not every chip means a new restoration. Small chips may be repaired, but sometimes a new veneer is needed¹⁹. In the 2025 review, most technical problems with veneers were dealt with without replacing them⁷. Larger cracks and fractures may mean the restoration has to be replaced.

If a veneer or crown comes off, keep it, do not glue it back yourself, and see a dentist. It can sometimes be fixed back if it and the tooth are sound and it still fits. A new restoration usually needs laboratory or milling time and more than one appointment, and its colour has to match the teeth beside it. Each replacement may take a little more tissue from the tooth.

• 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, nails or pens, 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 risk²⁰.
• Discuss whitening before treatment. Whitening does not lighten ceramic. A review based mainly on laboratory studies also advises patients to avoid bleaching ceramic restorations, especially those of front teeth²¹, as it may roughen their surface.

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. See one 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 pain keeps increasing, or you have facial swelling or a high temperature, see a dentist without waiting for the clinic's reply. In England, if you have no dentist or cannot get an emergency appointment, the NHS says to call 111 or use 111 online²². Elsewhere in the UK, check the urgent dental care route where you live.

Emergencies. With a suspected dental abscess, the NHS says the following need urgent medical help²². In the UK, call 999 or go to A&E.

• 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

Lithium disilicate is one of several tooth-coloured options. The right one depends on the tooth, the bite, the space available and what you expect of the appearance. Our page on dental ceramics explains the whole family.

• Feldspathic porcelain. Built up by hand in layers, often for thin veneers. A 2025 review describes feldspathic and leucite-reinforced ceramics as very lifelike but mechanically weaker, and lithium disilicate as a balance of appearance and strength⁷. For veneers, it found no significant difference in survival at about ten years.
• Zirconia. Often called "zirconium". It is stronger and is used more often for back teeth, bridges and implant crowns. Some types are more opaque, and bonding to it is more difficult. For zirconia veneers there were no long-term data⁷. See our zirconium page.
• Zirconia-reinforced lithium silicates. Related lithium-based glass ceramics with added zirconia, from other product families. In a review of laboratory tests, one lithium disilicate block was stronger than the three other lithium-based blocks compared¹. None of the studies in the 2025 veneer review reported on lithium silicate ceramics⁷.
• Metal-ceramic (porcelain fused to metal). Porcelain on a metal framework, studied over the longest periods. If the gum recedes, metal may show at its edge.
• Composite resin. Not a ceramic. It is easier to fix if damaged, but not as stain- or wear-resistant⁶ as ceramic.

Before treatment, ask in writing:

• which material and which product will be used for each tooth, and who makes it;
• whether the restoration will be pressed or milled, made at the clinic or in a laboratory, and where that laboratory is;
• what the clinic's written terms say if a restoration chips, breaks or comes off, including after you are home;
• who pays for the repair and for any extra trip.

Bring home for your UK dentist a written record. It should show which teeth have veneers, onlays or crowns, and the material, product, manufacturer, shade and laboratory. In Turkey, the health tourism regulation entitles international patients to an itemised bill. On request, they also get free copies of the records of the materials used, the tests and the imaging²³.

Aftercare. Problems after you return are usually first seen by your own dentist in the UK. The General Dental Council suggests speaking to your own dentist²⁴ before you consider treatment abroad; ask whether they will see you afterwards. The NHS website for England says the NHS is not liable for negligence or failure of treatment²⁵ when you have treatment abroad. It also says most travel insurance policies will not cover you for planned treatment abroad²⁵. That is guidance for England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run their own health services, with their own rules, which this page does not cover; if you live there, ask your dentist.

Your choice. These restorations are also made by dentists in the UK, and a UK opinion gives you something to compare. You can say no, or ask to stop, at any stage. Once a tooth has been prepared, that step cannot be undone.

Our dental crowns page lists the questions the General Dental Council and the NHS suggest you ask before treatment abroad.