These are the materials that may be used for an upper premolar crown:
Lithium disilicate
A type of aesthetic and translucent porcelain that can be made with layers to mimic the appearance of a natural tooth. This material requires the greatest amount of thickness to withstand cracking and to give the best appearance.
This material can also be used for partial crowns (onlays).
Zirconia
Another type of very dense and hard porcelain that can be used in thinner section without compromising strength. This material is also used for the blades of ceramic knives.
Comes in a variety of opacities that also vary in strength. Generally, the lower the opacity, the weaker the zirconia.
Zirconia can be layered with lithium disilicate or other types of weaker porcelain for a more lifelike appearance of the crown.
Porcelain (lithium disilicate or feldspathic) fused to metal
A metal base layer can be covered with porcelain for a more aesthetic finish. The metal used can be white gold alloy or a nickel chromium alloy. These crowns tend to look more opaque than pure porcelain crowns due to the opaque nature of the metal base.
Full metal crowns
These are the strongest of all crowns since metals do not chip or break easily. Gold alloy is the best performing and longest lasting metal available. These are not popular choices due to the upper premolars generally being visible when smiling.
