Summary

Feldspathic porcelain

Excellent translucency and aesthetics, relatively weak and brittle

Porcelain laminate veneers

Best optical properties for highly aesthetic, low-stress restorations

Leucite glass-ceramic

Good aesthetics, moderate strength, etchable/bondable

Anterior crowns / highly aesthetic anterior restorations

Better appearance than stronger opaque ceramics, suitable in visible areas

Lithium disilicate glass-ceramic

Good aesthetics with good strength, etchable/bondable

Single crowns, especially anterior and premolars / short-span anterior bridges

Stronger than leucite/feldspathic while still aesthetic

Monolithic yttria-stabilised zirconia

Very high strength and fracture resistance, less translucent

Posterior crowns in heavy-load patients

Ideal where strength matters most, eg bruxists/parafunction

Metal-ceramic (PFM)

Strong, durable, acceptable aesthetics

Long-span ( >3 unit) bridges / high-load fixed prostheses

Metal substructure gives high flexural strength, ductility, and fracture toughness of the metal framework, which handles complex, long-span stress better than rigid materials

Direct composite resin

Tooth-coloured, adhesive, conservative, technique-sensitive

Direct anterior and posterior restorations

Allows minimally invasive bonded restorations

Flowable composite

Lower filler loading, lower viscosity, lower strength

Small cavities, lining, fissure repairs

Flows well into small areas but not ideal for heavy stress-bearing bulk restorations

Packable composite

Stiffer handling, posterior placement, still bonded

Posterior direct restorations

Easier handling in posterior teeth and proximal build-up

Bulk-fill composite

Greater depth of cure, simplified placement

Posterior restorations with faster placement

Useful when reducing layering time

Microfilled composite

Excellent polishability, lower strength

Anterior low-stress aesthetic restorations

Very smooth surface finish and gloss retention

Hybrid / nanohybrid composite

Balanced strength and polishability

General-purpose direct composite restorations

Common all-rounder for both anterior and posterior use

Compomer

Composite-like material with some fluoride release, lower performance than composite

Small paediatric restorations / low-stress cervical lesions

Easy handling with some fluoride benefit, but not a heavy-duty restorative

Conventional GIC

Chemical adhesion to tooth, fluoride release, moisture tolerant, lower strength

Non-load-bearing cervical lesions / ART / luting (depending on formulation)

Good where fluoride release and adhesion matter more than strength

Resin-modified GIC (RMGIC)

GIC with added resin, better strength and handling, fluoride release maintained

Cervical restorations, liners/bases, paediatric restorations

Useful in areas needing fluoride release plus improved physical properties

High-viscosity GIC

Stronger form of conventional GIC, still limited vs composite

Atraumatic restorative treatment and temporary/intermediate restorations

Good in community/paediatric/minimally equipped settings