Criteria for the selection of restoration materials

Selection of the appropriate material for dental restoration has become more and more difficult owing to the increasing variety of restoration materials. A decision flow chart is presented to guide the treatment team (dentist and dental technician) in the selection of the restoration material. This material selection is based on the available interocclusal space, esthetic aspects (eg, brightness value or translucency of the neighboring teeth), as well as clinical evidence extracted from survival rates. Keywords: abutment color, brightness value, glass-ceramic, metal-ceramic, porcelain-fused-to-metal, translucency, zirconia