Date posted: 22-07-2026 | Last updated : 29-07-2026
Lava crowns are all-ceramic restorations with a strong structure, a natural glossy appearance, and high durability. This is one of the most premium types of porcelain crowns and is recommended by dental specialists. What are Lava crowns, and what outstanding advantages do they offer? Learn more with Kangnam Aesthetic Hospital in the following article.
Lava porcelain crowns, also known as Resin Nano Ceramic restorations, are all-ceramic crowns consisting of two components. The inner layer is made from strong zirconia, while the outer Lava ceramic layer provides good heat resistance and has a shape and color similar to natural teeth.
The most distinctive feature of this type of crown is the outer Lava ceramic coating. Because it is manufactured from highly durable and extremely strong Lava Premium Zirconia with excellent aesthetic properties, the crown has natural translucency similar to that of real teeth, good heat and load resistance, and high durability.
What are Lava porcelain crowns?
Lava porcelain crowns are manufactured by 3M, also known as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company. The corporation is headquartered in Maplewood, United States, and is one of the world’s well-known diversified companies.
By applying modern CAD/CAM technology with various color systems, 3M has created premium porcelain crowns that meet the restorative dental needs of most patients.
Lava Plus 3M ESPE is one of 3M’s primary dental crown product lines and is widely used at dental clinics in Vietnam. Lava Plus 3M ESPE crowns are made from a solid block of pure ceramic. Because they are fired at high temperatures, they provide excellent strength and load-bearing capacity. Lava Plus 3M ESPE crowns can withstand forces eight to nine times greater than natural teeth. Therefore, after crown placement, patients can chew comfortably without worrying about the crowns fracturing.
The external structure of Lava Plus 3M ESPE crowns is covered with a naturally translucent white ceramic layer. Because the crowns are researched and designed in laboratories with the support of modern science, Lava Plus 3M ESPE crowns offer excellent translucency and reproduce natural dental grooves with up to 99% accuracy.
In addition, Lava Plus 3M ESPE crowns have relatively thin walls. Therefore, when using Lava Plus 3M ESPE crowns, dentists do not need to remove excessive natural tooth tissue, helping reduce sensitivity after the procedure.
Lava Plus 3M ESPE.
Lava Ultimate is also a premium crown product and was one of the first dental restorations in the world to apply nano-resin ceramic technology. It is designed for patients with high aesthetic expectations.
Lava Ultimate restorations provide shock absorption and effectively balance chewing forces in dental implant restorations. In addition, these crowns resist plaque accumulation and discoloration, helping the teeth remain bright after prolonged use.
Lava Ultimate crowns are also resistant to wear, helping protect the teeth and maintain durability in the highly acidic oral environment.
Lava Esthetic Fluorescent Full-Contour Zirconia is the first dental crown product line to incorporate fluorescence directly into the restorative material. This design allows the crowns to maintain their aesthetic appearance over long periods of use.
The fluorescent layer makes the teeth appear brighter under artificial light and sunlight. At the same time, it protects the ceramic enamel surface, helping the crowns remain bright and white after many years.
Lava Esthetic Fluorescent Full-Contour Zirconia is also aesthetically optimized along both the outer and inner tooth margins and is compatible with various shade systems, including VITA Classic and VITA 3D-Master.
With these advantages, Fluorescent Full-Contour Zirconia is suitable for dental bridges, porcelain crowns, veneers, inlays, and onlays.
Lava Esthetic Fluorescent Full-Contour Zirconia.
Lava crowns are manufactured entirely from premium ceramic. Therefore, they can reproduce colors and light-reflecting properties similar to those of natural teeth. This gives Lava crowns a natural shade that blends harmoniously with the surrounding natural teeth.
Lava all-ceramic crowns provide excellent aesthetics.
Lava crowns offer high durability and stability. Because they are fired at high temperatures, they have excellent hardness and provide effective chewing function.
With outstanding mechanical properties and excellent resistance to fractures and cracks, Lava crowns are not easily damaged by strong biting forces.
Lava crowns have an average lifespan of 15–20 years. With proper oral hygiene and appropriate chewing habits, their lifespan may be extended to as long as 30 years.
Lava crowns are easy to care for and clean. Their smooth surface does not easily accumulate stains or deposits, allowing users to clean their teeth conveniently every day. Maintaining clean crowns through daily oral hygiene helps extend their lifespan and improve oral function.
Lava crowns offer high biocompatibility and do not irritate or damage the oral cavity. Therefore, this type of dental crown is suitable for most patients. Cases that may benefit from Lava crown placement include:
However, Lava all-ceramic crowns are relatively expensive. Therefore, they may not be a suitable choice for people with limited incomes. Patients with financial limitations who experience the dental problems listed above may consider metal-ceramic crowns as an alternative.
Cases suitable for Lava porcelain crowns.
The Lava crown procedure at Kangnam Aesthetic Hospital follows standardized steps to ensure patient safety.
First, a Kangnam dentist examines and evaluates the patient’s oral condition. The dentist takes dental photographs, performs jaw-joint X-rays, and conducts a clinical examination to determine the condition of the teeth.
If the patient has problems involving the gums or surrounding soft tissue, the dentist treats these conditions before proceeding with the subsequent crown-placement steps.
The dentist examines the teeth before treatment.
The dentist prepares the patient’s natural teeth and then takes dental impressions by placing a molding gel inside the mouth to create a three-dimensional representation of the teeth.
These impressions are used to manufacture crowns that fit each patient’s bite and oral structure.
Before placing the permanent Lava crowns, the dentist creates temporary crowns to protect the teeth and maintain oral function while the permanent Lava restorations are manufactured based on the dental impressions.
The dentist sends the dental impressions to the crown manufacturing center. There, technicians use advanced technology and automated production processes to manufacture Lava crowns according to the patient’s actual tooth size and shape and to ensure compatibility with the bite.
The dentist examines the teeth before placing the crowns. After fitting the crowns over the prepared teeth, the dentist adjusts them to match the patient’s bite and applies a glossy adhesive coating to the outer surface to protect the restorations and improve their durability.
Lava crowns incorporate fluorescence into the restorative material. As a result, they are available in a diverse range of shades to meet the needs of different patients.
According to Dr. Annie Le, a Plastic Surgery and Oral and Maxillofacial Specialist at Kangnam Aesthetic Hospital, Lava crowns are among the few crown types highly compatible with all major shade systems, including VITA Classic, VITA 3D-Master, and Chromascop.
The VITA Classic shade guide consists of four main groups. Within each group, the shades gradually increase in intensity. Each group contains three to five different shades from which patients can choose the closest match to their natural teeth.
The VITA 3D-Master shade guide is a variation of the VITA Classic system and contains 29 different tooth shades. The VITA 3D-Master guide is divided into six groups: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Each group is divided into three variations:
The Chromascop shade guide is also divided into color groups and contains a total of 20 different tooth shades. Each group includes four tooth shades. The Chromascop color groups include:
At Kangnam Aesthetic Hospital, Lava all-ceramic crown treatment is considered one of the most competitively priced services on the market. The cost of Lava crowns at Kangnam Aesthetic Hospital depends on the specific Lava crown type used.
The following is the price list for Lava porcelain crowns at the hospital:
| Service | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|
| Lava Plus 3M ESPE all-ceramic crown for implant-supported restoration | 380 |
| Lava Plus 3M ESPE and Emax Zic CAD all-ceramic crowns for fixed aesthetic dental restoration | 304 |
According to the price list, Lava Plus 3M ESPE all-ceramic crowns have a higher cost because of their higher production expenses. In addition, these crowns are used for implant-supported restorations, which require a more technically complex procedure than Lava Plus 3M ESPE and Emax Zic CAD all-ceramic crowns.
Note: These prices do not include current promotional programs available at the hospital’s branches. For detailed information about promotions, patients may provide their name and telephone number or contact the hospital hotline directly.
Proper care and maintenance after crown placement are important because they determine the lifespan of the restorations. The following instructions explain how to care for Lava crowns correctly to keep them bright, attractive, and durable over time.
Daily oral hygiene is the best way to protect the teeth after receiving Lava crowns. Dentists recommend brushing at least twice a day, in the morning and before going to bed.
Patients should use a soft-bristled electric toothbrush and toothpaste containing fluoride to improve cleaning effectiveness. A water flosser or dental floss may also be used to clean between the teeth and remove residual food and plaque, preventing gum inflammation and swelling that could affect the crown structure.
Clean the teeth correctly every day.
Although Lava all-ceramic crowns have a strong and durable structure, eating hard foods every day may still place pressure on the crowns, damage them, and reduce their lifespan.
Patients should limit chewing hard foods such as ice cubes and animal cartilage. Whenever possible, this harmful habit should gradually be eliminated to prevent food-related damage to the crowns.
Patients should attend dental examinations every six months to protect their oral health and maintain Lava all-ceramic crowns so that they remain strong and continue to perform their oral functions effectively.
Regular examinations allow the dentist to detect dental problems early and provide timely treatment before they become more serious and damage the crowns.
Attend regular follow-up dental examinations.
Patients should visit a dentist immediately if they notice any abnormal oral signs. Problems such as cracked or fractured crowns, loose restorations, or swollen gums should be examined and treated promptly by a dentist.
Lava porcelain crowns are an ideal choice recommended by dentists for correcting dental imperfections. In addition to providing high durability, Lava all-ceramic crowns have an attractive color similar to natural teeth and are resistant to discoloration during use.
We hope the information about Lava crowns provided in this article has helped you better understand the different types of porcelain crowns. If you have any questions, contact Kangnam Aesthetic Hospital directly through the hotline at 1900 6466 for a free consultation.
