At UK Smiles, we help patients achieve natural, long-lasting smiles with advanced Emax dental crowns. Known for their translucency and strength, Emax crowns are an ideal choice for front teeth where aesthetics matter most. Made and fitted at the certified Dental Centre in Antalya, they deliver the smile you deserve, from the name you can trust.
Emax is a brand of strong dental ceramic used to make veneers and crowns. The term Emax refers to the material itself, not one particular treatment. In Turkey, Emax is most often used for crowns as part of a smile makeover.
Quick answer · Updated
Emax crowns in Turkey cost £280 a tooth with UK Smiles, or about £219 a tooth in a full set of 20 (around £4,370), with your hotel in Lara and VIP transfers included. In the UK, an Emax crown typically costs £750 to £1,500. Most people need about five days in Antalya.
Clinically reviewed by Dr Mehmet, Head Dentist, 22 years' experience
UK prices are typical private prices in 2026. Flights are not included.
Free and no obligation
Not ready for a quote? Speak to real patients in our Facebook group first.
Real result
Drag the handle to compare. Same patient, same clinic, photographed before treatment and after the final fit.
Stacey · Emax · Read the full story
How it works
A crown covers the whole visible tooth. The tooth is shaped slightly so the crown fits over it like a cap.
About 1 mm thick, with the most natural-looking finish of our materials.
The core of your tooth is kept and shaped to fit.
Nothing changes below the gum.
A real UK Smiles patient
1234567 Designed around you
Natural enamel has fine ridges and lobes that scatter light. We build that micro-texture into every crown, so the smile looks alive in daylight and on camera, never flat.
The best smiles show just 1 to 2mm of gum. We set each tooth length and the gum arch (the zenith) over every tooth, so you show the right amount, not a gummy smile.
Real teeth let light through at the tips. Emax is a glass ceramic, so it lets light through much like natural enamel, and the edges glow softly instead of looking like a solid white block.
Front teeth about four-fifths as wide as they are long, the laterals a touch smaller, the canines matching the centrals, all chosen to suit your face shape.
Matched to your skin tone and the whites of your eyes, with a natural gradient from a brighter edge to a warmer gum end. Bright, but believable.
The top edges follow the curve of your lower lip. Widening the arch slightly fills the dark corners (the buccal corridor) for a fuller, better proportioned smile.
Your occlusion, how the top and bottom teeth meet, is balanced too. An even bite protects crowns from chipping, eases jaw strain and keeps eating and talking comfortable.
Texture. Natural enamel has fine ridges and lobes that scatter light. We build that micro-texture into every crown, so the smile looks alive in daylight and on camera, never flat.
Gum Line. The best smiles show just 1 to 2mm of gum. We set each tooth length and the gum arch (the zenith) over every tooth, so you show the right amount, not a gummy smile.
Translucency. Real teeth let light through at the tips. Emax is a glass ceramic, so it lets light through much like natural enamel, and the edges glow softly instead of looking like a solid white block.
Proportion. Front teeth about four-fifths as wide as they are long, the laterals a touch smaller, the canines matching the centrals, all chosen to suit your face shape.
Shade. Matched to your skin tone and the whites of your eyes, with a natural gradient from a brighter edge to a warmer gum end. Bright, but believable.
Smile Line. The top edges follow the curve of your lower lip. Widening the arch slightly fills the dark corners (the buccal corridor) for a fuller, better proportioned smile.
Bite. Your occlusion, how the top and bottom teeth meet, is balanced too. An even bite protects crowns from chipping, eases jaw strain and keeps eating and talking comfortable.
An Emax crown costs £280 a tooth with UK Smiles, or about £219 a tooth in a full set of 20, with your hotel in Lara and VIP transfers included. Privately in the UK, the same crown typically costs £750 to £1,500. The saving comes from lower running costs and the exchange rate, not the ceramic, which is the same Ivoclar material used worldwide. See the full price list, or zirconia crown prices if you want a stronger, cheaper option for back teeth.
Prices checked September 2026. Your written plan gives your exact figure, and package prices include your hotel in Lara and airport transfers.
With UK Smiles, you get transparent pricing, certified clinics, and a UK team on hand before, during and after your trip.
£3,626
£4,370
Scans and X-rays of your teeth.
Reshaping and cleaning the tooth.
Placed while your permanent Emax crowns are created.
Strong, natural-looking results you can trust.
Secure placement of your Emax porcelain crowns.
Send a few photos, we do the rest
What happens on the day
This is the appointment people worry about most, so here it is in full. It happens on day two of the trip. The trial fit and final fit later in the week are shorter and there is nothing sharp involved.
You sit down with the dentist and the moulds and confirm the shade, shape and length you chose. Nothing starts until you say yes. If you are nervous, say so here: the team goes at your pace and you agree a stop signal.
How it feels A conversation, not a procedure.
Local anaesthetic, tooth by tooth. A numbing gel goes on the gum first so the injection itself is a small scratch. The dentist waits until you cannot feel anything before touching a tooth, and tops it up during the appointment if you ask.
How it feels A scratch, then a fat lip feeling that spreads. Most people describe it as odd rather than painful.
Each tooth is shaped so the crown fits over it, about 1 mm all round. It is done with a fine drill and water spray, one tooth at a time, with breaks whenever you want them. A full set takes three to four hours.
How it feels Pressure, vibration and the noise of the drill, but no pain. If anything sharpens, you raise a hand and the dentist stops.
Your prepared teeth are scanned with a digital wand rather than a tray of putty. The scan goes straight to the on-site lab with your chosen shade and design, and the technicians start making your new teeth the same afternoon.
How it feels A camera moving round your mouth for a couple of minutes. Nothing to gag on.
You leave with a full set of temporary teeth, so you are never without a smile. They are not the finished article, but they are shaped like the design so you get a preview of the length and look.
How it feels A little bulky for a day. You get used to them quickly.
The numbness wears off over two to four hours. Teeth can feel sensitive to hot and cold for a few days, and the gums can be tender where the work was done. Soft food tonight, ordinary painkillers if you need them, and an early night. Most people are out for breakfast the next morning.
How it feels Tender and tired rather than in pain. The team is a message away if anything worries you.
The finished crowns are tried in without cement. You look in the mirror, smile, talk, take a photo. Want them shorter, squarer, whiter, more natural? They go back to the lab and are adjusted. Nothing is fixed until you are happy.
How it feels The best appointment of the week. About two hours, no numbing needed for most people.
Each crown is bonded in place, the bite is checked and any high spots are polished. You leave with your finished smile and the aftercare instructions, and fly home the next day.
How it feels Some pressure while bonding. Around two hours.
Sensitivity usually settles within a week or two. Tell the dentist if you grind your teeth so it can be built into your plan.
Your week in Antalya
Veneers and crowns are done in a single trip. Three appointments, two days that are yours, and a smile to fly home with. This is the typical shape of the week; your plan confirms your exact dates.
Day 1
No appointment
Your driver meets you at the airport and takes you to your hotel in Lara. Settle in, and we confirm your pick-up time for the morning.
Day 2
3 to 4 hrs in clinic
The big day. Consultation with your senior dentist, X-rays and a 3D scan, then you choose your shape, shade and style together. Teeth are prepared under local anaesthetic and temporaries fitted, so you leave with a smile.
Day 3
Day off
The on-site lab designs and mills your new teeth from the scan. Nothing for you to do but enjoy Lara: beach, pool, old town.
Day 4
About 2 hrs in clinic
Your new teeth go in so you can see them in your own mouth. Want them a touch shorter, squarer or whiter? They go back to the lab for adjustments. Nothing is fixed until you are 100% happy.
Day 5
About 2 hrs in clinic
Your new smile day. Teeth are bonded permanently, your bite is checked and everything polished. You leave with your aftercare plan and your warranty paperwork.
Day 6
Private transfer
Picked up from the hotel about three hours before your flight. The UK team checks in with you a few days after you land.
Hotel in Lara, private transfers and every appointment are arranged for you. How the trip works · Get your plan and dates
Free and no obligation
Private Facebook Group
Join our private Facebook group and chat with real UK Smiles patients, including people travelling right now. Get their honest opinions and see real, up-to-date photos, posted day in, day out.
Opens in Facebook.
Free quote, no obligation
Everything else you need to know
Emax is made by Ivoclar, a long-established dental company. The word usually points to the material rather than a procedure, because the same ceramic is used for both veneers and crowns.
It is popular for one reason above all: it is tough enough to handle everyday biting, yet it catches the light like a real tooth, so the result does not look flat or grey at the edges.
Emax is the material, so it can be either. An Emax veneer is a thin shell bonded to the front of a tooth, while an Emax crown is a cap that covers the whole tooth. Which one you need depends on how much of the natural tooth has to be covered.
In Turkey, crowns are the more common choice. People often call them Emax veneers, because “veneers” is the term most UK patients use for a smile makeover. In practice the teeth are usually shaped down on all sides and capped completely, which makes the treatment a crown rather than a true veneer.
Crowns suit teeth that are worn, heavily filled, root-treated or out of line, which is why they come up so often in full makeovers.
“Turkey teeth” is the nickname for the smile makeovers UK patients fly out for, and Emax is the material behind most of them. The bright, even smile people picture is usually built from Turkey teeth crowns made of Emax, rather than thin veneers.
Knowing whether your quote is for veneers or crowns matters, because a crown removes more of the natural tooth. It is worth confirming which treatment you are getting before you book.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Natural translucency, looks like real teeth | Slightly higher cost than metal crowns |
| Metal-free (no grey gum line) | Not always suitable for back molars with very heavy bite pressure |
| Stronger than standard porcelain | Requires specialist equipment for adjustments |
| Biocompatible and safe for gums | May not be as strong as full zirconia crowns |
Materials, compared
The three materials we work with, and the numbers behind them. There is no single best: the right one depends on what your teeth need.
Monolithic zirconium oxide
Best for: Worn, damaged or dark teeth, back teeth, and full smile rebuilds. The workhorse for crowns and All-on-4/6 bridges.
Premium upgrades available: Sagemax NexxZr and IPS e.max ZirCAD Prime
Lithium disilicate glass ceramic
Best for: Front teeth where looks matter most. The most natural, enamel-like material we use, as thin veneers or as crowns.
Resin, sculpted by hand
Best for: Small chips, gaps and edges on otherwise healthy teeth, done in one visit with no drilling. Budget-friendly, but it stains and needs replacing much sooner.
Nervous about the dentist?
Most of the people we treat were. How the clinic handles anxiety, sedation and the stop signal.
Read about nervous patient care →How booking works
Nothing to pay up front, for complete peace of mind. Just book your flights, fill in our booking form, and we’ll sort the rest.
See how booking works →Meet us in Leeds first
Hold the moulds and shade tabs, have an X-ray next door, and leave with a written plan and price. Free, no obligation.
Book a Leeds consultation →Considering alternative treatment? Check out other options below:
Free and no obligation
Straight talk
Some of the people who ask us about crowns would be better off with something else, or with nothing at all. We would rather tell you that before you book than after.
If your teeth are straight and healthy and you mainly want them whiter, crowns are the wrong answer. They take enamel off teeth that did not need touching.
What we do The dental team looks at your photos and tells you honestly whether the treatment is needed.
Crowns involve removing a layer of tooth, and that does not grow back. Once you have them, you will always have them or a replacement.
What we do We explain that plainly before you decide, so there are no surprises later.
Crowns on an unhealthy mouth fail early. Bleeding gums, loose teeth or cavities need sorting first.
What we do The dentist assesses your gums and teeth first and explains what would need treating, and in what order.
Heavy grinding can chip porcelain, especially thinner veneers. It does not rule you out, but it changes the plan.
What we do Tell us if you grind. The dentist takes it into account when recommending the material and the plan.
Teeth and jaws are still moving. Work done now would need redoing.
What we do Treatment is for adults. We are happy to talk it through when the time is right.
If teeth are missing or too broken down to support a crown, crowns on their own will not do it.
What we do The dentist reviews your photos and X-rays and recommends the option that actually fits your mouth.
Send a few photos and the dental team will tell you honestly whether any of these apply to you, before you book anything.
With UK Smiles, you don't just get a crown, you get confidence. Our expert dental partners in Turkey combine artistry and technology to deliver lasting results, while our UK team is on hand from start to finish.
With UK Smiles, an Emax crown is £280 a tooth. In a full set it works out cheaper: around £3,626 for 16 or £4,370 for 20 (about £219 a tooth), with your hotel in Lara and VIP transfers included.
Privately in the UK, an Emax crown typically costs £750 to £1,500 a tooth, so a full set of 20 can cost £15,000 to £30,000. Emax crowns are not usually available on the NHS.
An Emax crown is a crown made from IPS e.max, a lithium disilicate glass ceramic made by Ivoclar. It covers the whole tooth and is chosen for front teeth because it lets light through much like natural enamel.
They are not as strong as zirconia, so zirconia is often the better choice for back teeth or people who grind. A crown also needs more of the tooth shaped than a veneer. Emax costs more than zirconia, and like any ceramic it can chip if you bite nails or open things with your teeth.
Typically 10 to 15 years, and often longer with good care. In one review, about 97% of lithium disilicate single crowns were still in use after 10 years. With UK Smiles, crowns come with a 5-year written warranty.
Emax looks more natural on front teeth because it is more translucent. Zirconia is stronger and cheaper, so it suits back teeth, heavy biters and full sets on a tighter budget. Many smiles use Emax at the front and zirconia at the back, and your plan will say which tooth gets which.
