The Hidden Costs of Choosing Convenience Over Craftsmanship.
Let’s get one thing straight: choosing dental crowns is not just about picking the prettiest or cheapest option off a menu. Dental crowns are a complex treatment – far more nuanced than Dental Tourism’s flashy, price-driven marketing would have you believe. Especially when you’re considering a full-mouth restoration, dental crowns are a long-term investment in your health and well-being.
Yet every day, I see patients travel across the world to get treatment from high-volume, “big box” clinics (like the Walmart of clinics in Turkey) with quotes that treat crowns like cheap car parts: plug-and-play, one-size-fits-all.
I work exclusively with dental partners who value professional integrity and the intricacies of their craft. Because of that, I get to learn, every day, what is the right approach vs. the wrong one. So it’s time to set the record straight (if you don’t mind).
If you’re making decisions based solely on brand names like EMAX, or picking a clinic based on ‘All-Inclusive VIP Services’ and cheap prices, you may be setting yourself up for disappointment – and (potentially) a very expensive mistake.
In this post, I’m going to cut through the noise and marketing hype to show you what really matters when it comes to dental crowns:
- Why the dentist’s experience, technique and integrity matters as much as the price.
- Why some clinics push treatments that look good on paper, but fail in practice.
- And why a ‘cookie-cutter’ approach can leave you with headaches – and extra costs – for years to come.
Because when it comes to your teeth, quality and precision make all the difference.
The Crown Confusion: Why It’s Not Just About The Most “Popular” Brands
Most patients I talk to seem to think zirconium crowns are always better than metal-porcelain crowns, or that EMAX – the brand everyone’s talking about – is the gold standard for every situation. Don’t get me wrong: zirconium crowns are strong and aesthetic, and EMAX balances strength and beauty like no other. But the truth is, the right material depends on your unique dental needs: the tooth being treated, your bite forces, your dental history, and even your habits like grinding or clenching. Materials are only as good as when and where they’re used (and how carefully they’re matched to your specific needs).
Take a full ceramic crown made of EMAX (lithium disilicate). While it’s both strong and highly aesthetic – perfect for the anterior (front) teeth – it can easily fail under the heavy bite forces of back molars, especially for patients who grind their teeth. In those cases, an ultra-strong metal-porcelain crown might be a smarter choice, even if it’s not quite as pretty. And since it’s in the back of your mouth, aesthetics don’t matter as much anyway because no one’s going to see it.
Too many patients focus on brands and materials without considering the bigger picture: where in your mouth does the crown go? How is it made? And how carefully is the dental team fitting it to your unique bite and dental history? Different materials have different advantages, and choosing the right one means balancing strength, aesthetics, and function for your individual case.
There’s a lot to consider. But first, let’s look at the options.
The Four Main Types of Dental Crowns – and What the Industry Doesn’t Always Tell You
Let’s talk about the four main types of dental crowns you’re likely to encounter—and the key details the industry often leaves out.
1. Porcelain-Fused-to-Metal (PFM) / Metal-Reinforced Porcelain
PFM crowns have been the workhorse of dentistry for decades. They’re strong, reliable, and ideal for longer bridges and patients who grind their teeth. Why? Because their metal substructure distributes stress across multiple teeth, making them more stable than all-ceramic or zirconium options for large spans.
Pros:
- The strongest option for long bridges and heavy bite forces.
- Predictable and time-tested.
Cons:
- Not the best aesthetics, especially in the front teeth. The metal can show through as a dark line at the gum line, particularly for those that grind their teeth in those specific areas. But in the back teeth, this is usually a non-issue since it’s not visible.
2. Zirconium-Reinforced Porcelain
These crowns combine a zirconium base (milled from top-quality German blocks in our clinics) with a layer of ceramic, which could be either standard porcelain or EMAX. That’s right: EMAX isn’t always used as a crown on its own; it’s a type of ceramic that can also be layered over zirconium. While it’s typically stronger than porcelain, that advantage becomes less significant because the real strength comes from the underlying zirconium, which provides the necessary support for the ceramic on top.
Pros:
- Beautiful aesthetics.
- Strong enough for single crowns and 3-unit bridges.
- A great all-rounder for many patients.
Cons:
- Less ideal for longer bridges (4+ units) or heavy grinders.
- Slightly less durable under high bite forces in the back teeth.
3. Full Monolithic Zirconium
These crowns are made entirely of zirconium – no ceramic layering. Some clinics love them because they can be produced in-house, making it cheaper and faster. But here’s what you need to know: their strength and aesthetics depend heavily on the technician’s experience and expertise.
Pros:
- Extremely strong, thanks to their monolithic structure.
- Fast turnaround in the lab; often marketed as a time-saving option.
Cons:
- Can sometimes look like a white block – not exactly natural.
- Labs sometimes try to improve aesthetics by using infiltration techniques or shading during the pre-sintered stage to make the zirconia more translucent and lifelike. While this can enhance the look, it may also reduce strength compared to pure monolithic zirconia – at which point, you might as well choose a zirconium-reinforced porcelain crown instead.
- Once produced by the lab, monolithic zirconia is nearly impossible to adjust; the dentist can’t simply drill or reshape it in the chair. For dental travelers who may not have time to come back for lab adjustments, that makes it a higher-risk option if fit or bite isn’t perfect the first time.
4. Full Ceramic / Porcelain Crowns (e.g. EMAX, Empress)
These are all-ceramic crowns, chosen for their lifelike translucency. Great for front teeth (where beauty matters most).
Pros:
- The best aesthetics, hands down.
- Perfect for single crowns on front teeth.
Cons:
- Prone to chipping under heavy bite forces, especially in the back.
- Not for bridges; too fragile.
Dental Tourism: Opportunities and Risks
Let’s face it – dental tourism can offer excellent care at significant savings. Patients travel from all over the world for affordable, high-quality dental treatments. But it’s not all sunshine and smiles! Medical tourism also carries real risks if you choose the wrong dentist or clinic.
I can’t speak for every dentist in every country but, being in the industry, I’ve heard plenty of stories – some inspiring, others cautionary. The key is finding a dentist who genuinely puts your interests first, just as you’d expect at home. Trust is everything. And when you’re traveling for treatment, you want to know that you’ll get consistent, reliable care – without any surprises. That’s why you must meet your dentist, at least over a video call, before you travel under his or her care.
Find out how we choose the dentists we work with.
The True Cost of Big Box Clinics
Let’s talk about one of the most common types of clinics that dental tourists flock to: what I have somehow started calling the “Big Box Clinics.”
1. Marketing Over Medicine
Big box clinics dominate your Google search because they’re, first and foremost, businesses with big marketing budgets. They pay to appear first in your search results, but that visibility doesn’t necessarily mean quality. They often undercut traditional market prices – especially those of ethical, dentist-owned and operated practices – by slashing costs wherever they can. But those savings often come at your expense.
2. Material Shortcuts and Lab Risks
Unbeknownst to you, some of these clinics might use lower-grade zirconium blocks, or non-EMAX brand lithium disilicate (which they’ll still call “EMAX” to sound impressive). They might source materials from labs with questionable track records or even produce them in-house with inexperienced technicians (sometimes fresh graduates) rushing to meet daily quotas.
3. A Factory-Style Process
From the moment you submit an inquiry to the time you leave your dental treatment, everything feels like a mechanical, factory-style process: fast, impersonal, and profit-driven. Many times, patients get by without issues – but when it doesn’t work out, that’s when the horror stories start. And with dental tourism, there’s often no recourse once you’re back home.
4. Linked Crowns: A Shortcut That Costs More
Some of these clinics even cut corners in how they place the crowns. Instead of crowning each tooth individually (a best practice that ensures proper fit, function, and hygiene) they link multiple teeth together in one big unit. Sure, it’s faster and cheaper for them, but it’s harder for you to clean, and if one tooth fails, you may need to replace the whole bridge.
5. The Trust Gap
Here’s the kicker: at the end of the day, patients often have no idea what’s been placed in their mouth. You can’t really tell the difference between high-quality zirconium and lower-grade blocks just by looking. That’s why trust and transparency in the person managing your care, from start to finish, matter so much.
A Lifelong Investment That Deserves the Right Approach
Dental crowns – especially when you’re talking about a full-mouth treatment – aren’t a quick fix. They’re a lifelong investment, something you’ll live with every day. Don’t let a flashy brand name or a cheap quote distract you from the real issues: quality, craftsmanship, and a dentist who puts your needs first.
Our company, Dental Pathways, only connects patients with dentists that approach their profession with integrity and compassion, putting their patients first. Fitting zirconium crowns isn’t a mechanical process. It’s a careful, collaborative effort between the dentist, the lab technician, and the patient to ensure proper fit, function, and aesthetics. Every detail matters: the way the crown seats on the tooth, how it matches your bite, the color and translucency that makes it blend seamlessly with your natural teeth. Skip these steps and you might as well be buying crowns off a shelf at the supermarket.
Unfortunately, that level of personalized care isn’t universal. Many high-volume clinics operate like factories: fast, impersonal, and profit-driven. Often, patients walk away happy, but when complications arise, they have nowhere to turn. That’s when the horror stories start.
That’s why Elif and I started Dental Pathways: to guide patients through a different kind of process – one that prioritizes trust, quality, and good patient outcomes.
Final Thoughts
If you’re considering dental crowns abroad, don’t just look at the price tag or a flashy brand name. Ask the questions that matter:
- What materials are actually being used—and why?
- Are my teeth being crowned individually, or am I getting a shortcut that’s easier for the clinic but harder on me in the long run?
- Who’s making my crowns, and how much experience do they have?
- What happens if something goes wrong after I leave?
Because in dental tourism, just like at home, you get what you pay for.
If you’re ready to talk about your treatment plan (or if you just want honest answers) reach out to us. We’re here to help you make the right decision for your health, your smile, and your future. We only work with dental partners we know and trust – and who have treated us personally.
But if you do choose a different clinic, we only recommend that you speak directly with the dentist managing your care – just as you would back home – before making any commitments. Make sure you feel confident in their experience and approach. There are excellent dentists throughout Turkey, and if you find one who makes you feel confident, then that’s what truly matters!
