The most popular oxide ceramic is zirconium oxide, or zirconia. There is a special type of zirconia, a metastable tetragonal phase stabilized by the addition of yttrium oxide. This is a very firm material that can sustain great forces, and is used for the construction of large bridges.
For a perfect smile, it is not always necessary to resort to invasive methods. Sometimes whitening and composite fillings are sufficient. If there is more severe damage to the dental tissue, ceramic veneers or ceramic crowns and bridges are required.
In case of ceramic veneers, the patient can see his prospective veneer in advance, using the WAX-up diagnostic modeling tool. It is used for the creation of mock-ups, i.e. prototypes for dental restoration, made of the same material that is used for fillings. Once the desired shape of dental restoration is achieved, the process of the construction of the permanent restoration can begin.