What are the most natural looking dental crowns in 2018?

Hi:In terms of biocompatibility, it depends on each individual body’s response to materials.  If you are very concern about biocompatibility I suggest for you to do Clifford test.  In terms of natural looking material, feldspathic veneers are most natural looking but Emax or Zirconium are more durable.  Zirconium is most durable but least natural looking.  Emax could be a good compromise, however the skill of the lab technician plays a very important role.My suggestion is to consult with an experienced cosmetic dentist that works with a master technician.Best,Dr. Maddahi

If you are planning on covering darker, stained teeth, then using a more opaque product like Zirconia would be your best bet for biocompatability, aesthetics, and durability.  If you are looking to simply improve your alignment, I would choose braces/Invisilign/ortho treatment first, since no restoration, no matter how well made it is, lasts forever.  That being said, if you do not want to do ortho, then porcelain is your best bet (with a mouthguard to help preserve the restorations and opposing teeth when sleeping; even if you are not a grinder/clencher).  Hope this helps!

Any of the crowns that contain no metal are biocompatible (all porcelain). In general the strength of the crown and the “beauty” are inversely proportional to each other.  In other words, the stronger the crown the less beauty it has. This has to do with the translucency of the material. Most indications do not require the strongest crown... therefore a good lab technician can create beautiful and strong restorations. The feldspathic porcelains are still the best looking ... even though they have been around for years!! 
Of course, no crown will stand the test of time if the dentist has not paid close attention to factors such as occlusion and attention to detail.