Product at a Glance
Material | Lithium disilicate (LS₂), IPS e.max Press ingots following Ivoclar's processing protocol |
Fabrication route | Pressed from heated ingots — not milled from pre-crystallized blocks |
Implant interface | Titanium base or custom-milled titanium abutment |
Retention | Screw-retained, cement-retained, or hybrid-abutment (lab-bonded) — specified per case |
Scope | Single-unit implant crowns, incisor through premolar; select first-molar cases |
Platform support | Most mainstream implant systems, OEM or compatible parts, confirmed per case against our Ti-base and scan-body library |
Compliance | FDA Owner/Operator registration + product listing · MDR Annex XIII custom-device route · ISO 13485 lab · CE / ISO 10993 restorative materials |
Turnaround | 3–7 lab days from a complete case, depending on configuration |
First-pass QC rate | ~95% (final inspection passed on the first run, excluding rework) |
Scale | Istar Dental Lab, founded 2012; approximately 460 technicians across Shenzhen and Huizhou; a dedicated implant department of around 80 people |
Served | 50+ dental labs, 100+ clinics, 400+ dentists; primary markets United States and Western Europe |
Four delivery configurations
Which parts leave our factory depends on how your office prefers to handle the Ti-base-to-ceramic bond and the implant-component sourcing.
Configuration | What ships to you | When this makes sense |
|---|---|---|
Hybrid-abutment crown, lab-bonded | A single assembled part: LS₂ structure already bonded to the Ti-base, screw included | Standard screw-retained delivery; the chair-side step is just seat and torque |
Crown over custom titanium abutment | Milled custom titanium abutment plus pressed LS₂ crown, cement- or screw-retained | Angled implants where a screw channel would exit the facial; esthetic sites that benefit from a sub-gingival margin shift |
Separate components with protocol sheet | LS₂ structure, Ti-base, adhesive protocol, screw | Offices that run their own Ti-base bonding workflow in-house |
Crown only | LS₂ structure to fit a Ti-base you supply | You stock your own OEM Ti-bases and want to control part sourcing |
What is in the shipment
Every Implant E.max Crown delivery contains the finished restoration (or the components, if that is the configuration you chose), the retaining screw or a note that the implant manufacturer's screw should be used, a seating-and-torque card, and the case card that carries your lab ID — the same ID that persists in our traceability record from intake to shipment. If you asked for the per-case parameter sheet (HF concentration, air-abrasion pressure, primer brand), it ships in the same envelope.
Material Spec We Work To
Lithium disilicate is a glass-ceramic reinforced with needle-shaped crystals. For an implant single crown we press to a nominal flexural strength in the 400–500 MPa range after crystallization, with ISO 6872 Class 3 performance for monolithic single-unit restorations. For context, Ivoclar's own CAD block instructions for use list the following manufacturer design minima — these are the floor, not a recommendation:
Dimension | Manufacturer minimum | Why we care |
|---|---|---|
Axial wall at the equator | 1.0 mm | Below this the crown chips at the margin on insertion |
Axial wall above the equator (anatomical reduction) | 0.5 mm | Below this the pressing shrinks unpredictably |
Occlusal thickness over the abutment | 1.5 mm | Below this the crown fractures under function, not from trauma |
Ti-base height above the implant platform | 4.0 mm | Below this the adhesive joint runs out of surface area |
Ti-base wall thickness | 0.6 mm | Below this the Ti deforms during torque |
For bruxism cases on which prescribers insist on LS₂, we add thickness rather than skirt the minimum. For visible anterior sites we also check that the emergence profile allows the ceramic to be at least 0.8–1.0 mm thick where the eye can see it.
A broader clinical picture of lithium disilicate on implants is captured in the 2025 umbrella review on all-ceramic implant-supported single crowns, which is a useful one-page summary if your practice is building an internal protocol document.
How We Fabricate: Press, Not Mill
Lithium disilicate can be milled from pre-crystallized blocks or pressed from ingots. We press. Ivoclar's own IPS e.max Press workflow was developed first; the CAD/mill workflow was added later for chair-side use. For a lab setting we prefer press for three honest reasons.
- Fewer micro-cracks at the margin. Milling cuts a hard material with a rotating tool. Pressing flows a hot ingot into a mold. Every lab that has run both notices the difference at the margin under a lens.
- Shade blending in a single pour. With a pressed restoration we can locally characterize the incisal and cervical during cutback, which is harder to recover on a mill-and-stain workflow when the start block is a single-shade monolith.
- Compatibility with hybrid-abutment designs. A pressed LS₂ structure around a wax-up over a Ti-base gives a cleaner internal fit for the adhesive joint than a milled interior.
Workflow for a single case
- Case intake. Scans or impressions arrive via file transfer (3Shape, Medit, iTero, CEREC, Shining 3D, Planmeca; STL/PLY/OBJ/DCM accepted) or international shipping; our case coordination team logs it with a case-specific ID. We acknowledge the same business day.
- Design review. The implant platform, Ti-base selection, screw-access path, and emergence profile are checked against your prescription. If the case cannot be made within the material minima, we come back to you before cutting anything — not after.
- CAD design and model production. For digital cases a printed model is produced to verify the abutment–crown–antagonist relationship.
- Wax-up and investing. The restoration geometry is waxed over the Ti-base replica; cutback is planned for the stain-and-glaze route or for layered incisal if the prescription calls for it.
- Pressing. Lithium disilicate ingots are pressed into the mold. After divesting, the restoration is tried on the model, adjusted for proximal and occlusal contacts, and prepared for the bonding step.
- Staining, layering, and glazing. Shade is matched against the patient photo and the in-office shade guide reference. For multi-unit anterior cases we keep a record of the layering sequence so a future tooth in the arch can match.
- Ti-base bonding (lab-side). The ceramic intaglio is etched with hydrofluoric acid and silanized according to the ceramic manufacturer's IFU. The titanium base is cleaned, air-abraded, and primed with a 10-MDP–containing bonding agent — the adhesion mechanism is well described in the resin-cement to titanium literature. The two parts are seated with a dual-cure resin cement, excess is cleaned off before polymerization completes, and the joint is light-cured on all accessible sides.
- Quality control. Marginal fit on the model, screw-channel patency, torque fit against the Ti-base, surface polish, and shade are all checked under 10× magnification and standardized lighting before the piece leaves QC.
- Packaging and shipment. The crown, the screw (or a note that the clinician uses the implant manufacturer's screw), seating instructions, and a case card ship together.
The sticking point in that list is step 7. Which specific HF concentration, etch time, air-abrasion pressure, and primer we use is set to match the ceramic manufacturer's IFU and the Ti-base manufacturer's instructions — not a single internet number. If you want the sheet for your case, we send it with the delivery.
Screw-retained or cement-retained
The clinical argument for screw-retention is retrievability and the elimination of residual sub-gingival cement. A 2019 systematic review comparing the two found a trend toward more mucositis with cemented restorations (RR 1.36) but no statistically significant difference in peri-implantitis incidence (RR 1.00). We make both designs. We default to screw-retained when the access channel can hide, and to cement-retained with a custom abutment when it cannot.
Quality control numbers you can audit
Our internal first-pass QC rate is approximately 95%, where "first pass" means passing the final inspection on the first run without any rework. This is a factory floor number, not an in-mouth success rate — the clinical outcome depends on surgical placement, occlusion, and parafunction, which the lab does not control. We can walk a prescriber or procurement contact through our QC log on a factory tour in Shenzhen or Huizhou, or through a remote video audit by appointment.
Indications: When an Implant E.max Crown Is the Right Call
Material choice on an implant is a yes/no decision made across five variables: tooth position, available vertical space, screw-channel angulation, parafunction, and soft-tissue biotype. Reading all five together usually gives a clean answer.
Site conditions where lithium disilicate performs well
Variable | Comfortable range for e.max | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
Position | Incisors, canines, premolars; selected first molars with light occlusion | LS₂ gets its edge in translucency and color blending at the smile line; it does not need to carry a long cantilever |
Vertical occlusal space | ≥ 4 mm from implant platform to opposing cusp tip | Below this, there is not enough room for a titanium base plus the ceramic above it without undercutting minimum wall thickness |
Screw channel exit | Lingual/palatal, or any location masked by composite | A buccal screw channel on an anterior site is usually a reason to switch design, not material |
Parafunction | Mild to moderate; no documented severe bruxism | Severe bruxers break glass-ceramics faster than monolithic zirconia — this is a relative contraindication, not a hard no |
Peri-implant soft tissue | Horizontal ≥ 2 mm, vertical ≥ 2.5 mm around the planned emergence | Thin tissue lets the titanium abutment show through as gray; thicker tissue also protects crestal bone over time |
Sites where we recommend switching material or design
- Molars with heavy occlusion or bruxism signs. Monolithic zirconia is better suited to that load path. We make both at Istar — if the case comes in prescribed as e.max but reads clearly like a bruxer, we flag it in design review, not after delivery.
- Multi-unit implant-supported bridges. Lithium disilicate is specified by Ivoclar for single-unit implant crowns; connector-dimension constraints on multi-unit frames push the choice toward zirconia or a hybrid framework.
- Angled screw channels approaching 25°–30° off-axis. The crown is physically fine; the issue is the thickness that remains above the screw access after you form the channel. On an off-axis case we often recommend a custom titanium abutment plus cemented crown, so the ceramic keeps its full occlusal thickness.
- Very thin biotype with no planned soft-tissue grafting. The crown can still be made; we just want you to see a buccal gray-shadow risk written down before we fabricate.
If you are not sure which category your case falls into, the simplest path is to send us the scan and planned implant position. We will tell you whether e.max is a safe prescription or whether we would spec it differently.
Lab Fee Structure and Turnaround
Price depends on four variables, in this order of impact: number of units, material tier, implant-component source, and design complexity.
Configuration | What is included | Relative price band | Typical turnaround from complete case |
|---|---|---|---|
LS₂ crown only (you provide the Ti-base or abutment) | Design, press, stain-glaze, bench QC | Base rate | 3–5 lab days |
LS₂ crown + stock Ti-base (compatible part) | Above, plus Ti-base and lab-side bonding | +Stock part cost | 3–5 lab days |
LS₂ crown + stock Ti-base (original-manufacturer part) | Above, with OEM part sourcing | +OEM part cost (higher) | 3–6 lab days depending on part availability |
LS₂ crown + custom titanium abutment | CAD design of the custom abutment, milling, screw retention or cement retention of the crown | +Custom-abutment cost | 5–7 lab days |
Turnaround notes:
- Lab days are business days in our factory time zone, Monday through Friday, excluding Chinese public holidays. We do not count your approval wait, missing-information requests, or shipping transit in that number.
- Multi-stage cases: diagnostic wax-up or surgical guide 2–3 lab days, PMMA provisional 2–4 lab days, custom abutment 3–4 lab days, final restoration 3–5 lab days. Full-arch and All-on-X cases run 5–7 lab days per stage.
- Any peak-season adjustment is communicated when we acknowledge the case; we hold existing confirmed timelines first.
We publish configuration tiers, not individual prices. The B2B price list is handled through your sales manager at account setup — one of the few places where a static page on the open web would mislead more than it informs, because actual pricing moves with implant system, part SKU, and your account's volume.
What We Need in Your Prescription
Twelve fields keep an Implant E.max Crown case moving without a back-and-forth. Missing any one of these is the single most common cause of avoidable turnaround delay in our records.
- Implant system, platform, and connection type
- Patient-specific scan body or model with implant replica
- Preferred Ti-base: compatible or original manufacturer, with the exact part reference if you have a preference
- Design intent: cement-retained on abutment, screw-retained on Ti-base, or hybrid abutment crown
- Shade (basic shade number plus an in-mouth photo in natural light)
- Opposing arch and bite registration
- Occlusal scheme and parafunction notes
- Marginal position for emergence profile design
- Screw channel exit preference (or "lab's judgment")
- Who will perform final cementation and the brand of resin cement if your office has a preference
- Final torque and torque-driver availability
- Delivery preference: shipped assembled or shipped as components
If the case is a redo of a previous crown — ours or someone else's — a scan or photo of what failed is more useful than a long description. We look at it to decide whether the next version needs a change in Ti-base height, emergence profile, or material.
Warranty and Responsibility
We split post-delivery issues into three categories, because they fail from different causes and should be handled separately.
Category | Typical cause | Our policy |
|---|---|---|
Marginal misfit, poor seating, or occlusal discrepancy traceable to our fabrication | Error in design, pressing, or finishing | Remade free of charge |
Chipping of the ceramic within normal function | Material behavior, insertion handling, or occlusal overload | Case-by-case review; remake fee usually waived if photos and timing support a lab-side cause |
Debonding of the ceramic from the Ti-base | Multi-factorial; adhesion, Ti-base height, intra-oral vs. lab-side cementation | We ask for the failed piece back for failure-mode review; if the lab-side bond is the cause, we remake free |
Two cases where we do not cover a remake:
- A material change requested after we produced to the original prescription
- Impression or scan errors clearly flagged to the clinician before fabrication, but the clinician asked us to proceed anyway
Shipping damage is a separate workflow: with a 24-hour opening video and the courier airway bill as evidence, we remake free and absorb the shipping cost.
Compliance, Materials, and Case Traceability
For every Implant E.max Crown shipped to the United States:
- Istar maintains FDA Owner/Operator registration and product listings that cover custom crowns and bridges, custom implant abutments, implant superstructures, inlays/onlays, veneers, and dentures. (The implant fixture itself is a separate device class and is not covered under our listings.)
- For the EU markets we serve (Netherlands, Germany, France, Belgium, Austria, Luxembourg, Switzerland), each restoration follows the MDR Annex XIII custom-made device route with the custom-device declaration included at delivery.
- Our lab operates under ISO 13485; raw materials we use on the restorative side carry CE marking and have been evaluated per ISO 10993 biocompatibility testing by their manufacturers. We can send the current certificate PDFs to a procurement contact under NDA.
- Every case receives a lab ID that persists from intake to shipment, so a traceability request on a specific tooth from three years ago still returns a design file, material batch, and QC record.
Factory tours in Shenzhen or Huizhou, and remote video audits by appointment, are available for prescribers and group practices evaluating a long-term vendor relationship.
FAQ
Can I send a case with my own Ti-base and screw? Yes. We bond to the Ti-base you supply. Include the manufacturer and part reference on the prescription so we match the airflow pressure and primer to the surface specification.
Do you make a one-piece hybrid-abutment crown, or do you ship it as separate parts? Either. If you want the lab to perform the bonding step, we ship a fully bonded hybrid-abutment crown ready to seat. If your office prefers to control that step, we ship the Ti-base, the pressed LS₂ structure, and the bonding components separately with a brief protocol sheet.
What happens if my scan is good but the implant angulation turns out to be worse than planned? We review angulation during design. If the resulting screw channel exit is unworkable on the originally prescribed design, we come back with two or three options — swap to a custom abutment, change retention mode, or re-plan the restoration — before any ceramic is poured.
Do you accept impressions, or only digital scans? Both. For physical impressions we accept polyvinyl siloxane, polyether, and the common lab stones; we also accept 3D-printed resin models with implant analogs. Shipping to Shenzhen or Huizhou is the client's cost unless we have agreed otherwise.
Is e.max a good choice for a bruxer who insists on the esthetics? It can work with additional occlusal thickness and a clear discussion with the patient, but the honest answer is that monolithic zirconia survives bruxism better. If the patient is unmovable on esthetics, our usual compromise is zirconia with buccal cutback and feldspathic layering only in the esthetic zone.
Which implant systems do you support? Most mainstream systems. Rather than listing them here, send the system and connection you plan to use; we confirm back whether we have the scan body library, the Ti-base library, and compatible or OEM parts available, and whether that specific part is in stock.
Can you provide the HF concentration and sand-blast pressure you used on a specific case? Yes, on request. The exact values vary between ceramic manufacturers' IFUs; we track them per case and send the sheet with the delivery when a prescriber asks.
Start a Case
Send a prescription with the twelve fields above, a scan (or shipped impressions and model), and the patient photo. We acknowledge the same business day with:
- Whether e.max is the right call for the site, or whether we would recommend a different design
- The Ti-base and part option set available for your implant platform
- A firm turnaround for your case
- A per-case quote with the configuration broken out
If you are evaluating us for a first case, we accept single-unit test orders. If you are evaluating us for an ongoing lab relationship, we can arrange a factory visit or a remote video audit before any case ships.
Request a case review
Document notes
- Pages referenced for external evidence: a systematic review of implant-supported lithium disilicate single crowns (PMC11955174), the IPS e.max CAD instructions for use, a screw vs. cement retention systematic review (PMC6969698), a paper on 10-MDP and resin cement bonding to titanium (PubMed 34549930), and the 2025 umbrella review on all-ceramic implant-supported single crowns (PubMed 40750081).
- "IPS e.max" is a registered trademark of Ivoclar Vivadent AG. We produce restorations in lithium disilicate ceramic following the manufacturer's processing protocol.