Dental crowns and bridges and method of making same

A dental prosthesis comprising a coping and a ceramic layer, wherein the coping and ceramic layer are made by:

• a) forming a first cavity in a first surface of a block of solid material, the first cavity having a bottom surface comprising a protrusion extending upwardly and shaped to correspond to an occlusal surface of the dental prosthesis;
• b) filling the first cavity with a green ceramic material;
• c) removing a first portion of the green ceramic material from the first cavity such that the remaining portion forms a layer of green ceramic material contiguous with the protrusion of the bottom surface of the first cavity and having a contour that corresponds to the shape of the protrusion;
• d) forming a second cavity in a second surface of the block of solid material, the second surface opposed to the first surface, the second cavity having an inner surface shaped to correspond to the surface of a tooth that is to receive the dental prosthesis and that corresponds to the protrusion of the bottom surface of the first cavity, thereby forming the coping of the solid material and contiguous with the layer of green ceramic material and including the inner surface shaped to correspond to the surface of a tooth that is to receive the dental prosthesis;
• and
• e) sintering the coping and layer of green ceramic material to form the coping and ceramic layer.