the invention provides methods for making naturally appearing dental restorations , compositions of matter used in said methods and articles so formed , the resulting articles being visually life - like dental porcelain restorations formed of porcelain layers at least certain of which are modified to cause light entering a restoration to be internally reflected within the layers of the restoration to produce an opalescence virtually identical to that of natural teeth . porcelain layers unique to the present dental restorations include colored pigments or chromas selected to replace those chromatic values which are usually absorbed within conventional porcelain restorations , the present restorations therefore transmitting essentially the same high value of light back out of the restorations which initially entered the restorations . the present restorations blend visually with adjacent natural teeth since light exiting both the restorations and the adjacent teeth enter each other and are internally reflected with similar high light values which initially entered the restorations and teeth being transmitted from said restorations and teeth to an observer .