Prof. Dr. Oğuz Ozan

The unfavorable esthetic properties of the metal substructures that used for reinforcement of the ceramic restorations have led the clinicians to search different esthetic materials. For this purpose, layering of the opaque zirconia core material has been frequently preferred in recent years. However, the connection between ceramic and core material has been addressed as the weakest link of these two materials in the literature. The most frequently seen disadvantage of zirconia-supported restorations is the chipping of veneering porcelain due to the unfavorable thermal expansion differences of the ceramic and zirconia core material and unstable structure of the zirconia. In order to overcome this problem, translucent zirconia materials were developed, which enable the fabrication of monolithic restorations without veneering porcelain. Monolithic zirconia restorations, which did not show sufficient transparency in the beginning, have become more translucent characteristic with developing technology. Increased translucency with modifications in the microstructure of zirconia provided the use of monolithic zirconia restorations in posterior crowns as well as in anterior restorations. Full anatomical production with CAD / CAM methods has made it possible to apply this restorative option with full digital workflow by using intraoral scanners. With their numerous advantages, monolithic zirconias, have become a reliable restorative alternative not only for tooth supported restorations but also for implant-supported applications. In the current presentation, the clinical workflow of monolithic zirconia restorations will be discussed in the context of various clinical cases.