Method of applying opaque dental cermic material to a metal structure

A method of building a dental appliance and a kit for use in the method are provided. In the method, metal copings are coated with an opaque ceramic paste, and a coarse ceramic powder, having structural stability under the conditions needed to fire the ceramic paste, is dusted on the coating of ceramic paste, and the coping is fired. A coated metal coping with a rough, sandpaper like surface is produced, and subsequent layers of ceramic paste are applied to the rough surface to build up the dental appliance. The kit of the invention provides at least one preformed opaque ceramic paste, dusting powders, and other ingredients needed to build a dental appliance.