Dental ceramic systems are primarily used to fabricate indirect restorations such as crowns and bridges. These porcelain systems aim to replicate the esthetics and strength of natural teeth and crowns and bridges can be produced using pressing or layering techniques depending on the ceramic system being used. The strongest ceramic materials can be used to produce monolithic restorations, but most systems are designed to feature the translucencies and shadings required to produce a highly esthetic veneer to top a metal or ceramic coping. Different ceramic systems are designed for use with different substructures so be sure to look for a metal-compatible system if you will be using metal copings or a ceramic compatible system for zirconia copings. Porcelain systems also can be designed for adding esthetic touches to the cutbacks of CAD/CAM produced restorations. A precise firing and finishing workflow is important when working with these materials in order to produce restorations that work and look as good or better than the teeth they are replacing.