Layered Zirconia (PFZ)
American Dental Laboratory hand-layers porcelain over a CAD/CAM milled zirconia core to produce layered zirconia restorations that match natural dentition in the most visible areas of the mouth. Every PFZ case is built in-house by Certified Dental Technicians, backed by a remark rate below 2% and a 5-year warranty.
What Is Layered Zirconia (Pfz)?
Layered zirconia, also called porcelain fused to zirconia (PFZ), combines two materials in one restoration: a high-strength zirconia core milled to 1300 MPa, and hand-layered porcelain on top that recreates the translucency, depth, and color variation of a natural tooth.
Think of it as the modern replacement for PFM. You keep the strong substructure, but there’s no gray metal to show through at the margin. That’s why PFZ has become the industry alternative to porcelain fused to metal.
When To Prescribe Layered Zirconia
PFZ earns its place in cases where esthetics decide the outcome:
Anterior crowns and bridges:
The hand-layered porcelain blends with adjacent natural teeth in the smile zone.
Custom shade patients:
Ideal when the restoration must match existing dentition, not just a shade tab.
Single unit to full-arch esthetic cases:
From one central incisor to a complete smile reconstruction.
Patients with metal sensitivities:
Zirconia is metal-free and biocompatible, so there's no allergy risk and no dark gumline.
For posterior cases under heavy occlusal load or bruxers, monolithic zirconia is usually the better call. The porcelain overlay on PFZ carries 80-120 MPa, so we’ll steer you toward full-contour when the bite demands it. Not sure which fits your case? Talk To Our Team before you prepare.
Why Our Pfz Restorations Stand Out
Layering porcelain by hand is where a technician’s skill shows. A milling machine can’t do it, and neither can a lab that treats esthetic cases like production runs.
Hand-Layered by CDTs:
Our Certified Dental Technicians have trained at Dawson Academy, SPEAR Education, Pankey Institute, AACD, and LVI.
Custom Shading and Staining:
Chairside support for shade matching, including in-person shade selection for demanding cases.
Strong Core, Accurate Fit:
The 3Y zirconia coping is CAD/CAM milled in-house, so the substructure seats correctly before a single layer of porcelain goes on.
10 Days in the Lab:
A best-in-class performance level, with on-time delivery consistently between 98-99%.
5-Year Warranty:
Any defect in materials or workmanship is covered for 5 years from the date of completion.
Read what dentists are saying in our testimonials.
Our Layered Zirconia Work: Before & After
Fantastic outcome of 10 upper and 10 lower Zirconia Multi-layer Crowns.
Case Example #1
Lower single units 29-20, upper single units 4-11, and a 12 x 14 bridge, all in multi-layer zirconia.
Case Example #2
Multi-layer units on 5-12 upper and 20-29 lower, correcting a class 3 bite toward class 2.
Case Example #3
10 upper and 10 lower multi-layer zirconia crowns.
Case Example #4
Multi-layered zirconia crowns on upper units 5-13.
Specifications
- Indications: Single unit to full-arch esthetic restorations
- Ideal For: Custom shade patients matching natural teeth
- Composition: Monolithic zirconia core, hand-layered porcelain
- Yttria Mol%: 3Y core
- Strength: 1300 MPa core flexural strength, 80-120 MPa porcelain overlay
- Shades: 16 Vita Classical shades plus bleach shades
- Cementation: Conventional
- Warranty: 5 years
- Turnaround: 10 days in the lab
Request a Starter Kit
Send Your PFZ Case
- Scan: Capture a digital impression with your preferred intraoral scanner.
- Send:Upload through your scanner's integration or our online portal. Traditional impressions work too; download our Rx form.
- Design: Our technicians mill the zirconia core, then hand-layer and characterize the porcelain.
- Quality Check & Deliver: Checked by a CDT and shipped on schedule.
Have an Esthetic Case Coming Up?
Send your next layered zirconia case to a lab that treats the smile zone like it matters. Send a case or request a free starter kit to get started.
Frequently Asked Questions
Layered zirconia (PFZ) is a restoration with a milled zirconia core and hand-layered porcelain on the surface. The core provides 1300 MPa of strength while the porcelain recreates natural translucency and shade depth.
For most esthetic cases, yes. PFZ delivers the same layered look as PFM without the gray metal showing through at the gumline, and zirconia is metal-free and biocompatible. We produce PFM as well for cases where metal is preferred.
The zirconia core is very strong, but the porcelain overlay carries 80-120 MPa, so heavy-load posterior cases and bruxers are usually better served by monolithic zirconia. We'll advise on a per-case basis.
All 16 Vita Classical shades plus bleach shades, with custom staining and shading available for difficult matches.
10 days in the lab, with on-time delivery consistently between 98-99%.