Most indirect dental restorations are fabricated from a dental ceramic material. These materials can be pressed or layered as they are used to create lifelike restorations in a dental laboratory. Dental ceramic materials were developed for their abilities to mimic the strength and function of teeth as well as the translucencies and esthetics. Some ceramics are strong enough to be used monolithically, but many are designed for veneering and require a substructure fabricated from a strong but less esthetic material such as metal or zirconia. 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.