Ceramics for digitally-assisted processing give dental labs a fine-tuned offering for dentists and patients

Dentsply Sirona Lab has been leading the promotion of ceramic framework materials since the turn of the millennium. In the "Zirconia" area, both the highly translucent Cercon ht and the extra translucent Cercon xt are now available alongside the pure white Cercon base. Cercon ht enables the laboratory to offer not only the traditional veneered restorations, but also monolithic or partially veneered versions. Cercon xt, with its increased translucency, makes it even more appealing to use zirconia even in the anterior tooth region without any veneering, or only in a cut-back procedure.

Zirconia: Monolithic and aesthetic thanks to interior colour gradient

A more rapid and colour-stable treatment in the anterior tooth area can now be performed when using the new extra translucent Cercon xt ML multilayer blanks. These are a zirconia version with interior colour gradient. Thus, even a monolithic treatment results in near-natural aesthetics and only requires customisation by adding a few coloured accents. Or the treatment can be completed without emphasising any features. Needless to say, the exact treatment procedure is based on the individual patient and the performance level "Aesthetics unlimited" can typically be achieved by full veneering only.

With both the Cercon ht and the Cercon xt as well as the new Cercon xt ML, True Color Technology ensures enhanced shade stability. The blanks are available in all classic VITA™ shades.

Zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate: also for extra strong bridges

What if a more translucent solution is desired?

Well, in that case, the laboratory uses ZLS Celtra Press. It is characterised by a stability that cannot be matched by any other comparable materials (three-point flexural strength: 567 MPa, biaxial strength: 678 MPa after power-fire heating).

For the lab, this means: In addition to the restoration of individual teeth, three-unit bridges in the anterior tooth region (anterior to the second premolars as the terminal support) can be offered.

Celtra Press offers a high degree of opalescence, translucency and fluorescence that minimal highlighting can often lead to highly aesthetic restorations. ZLS is available in the classic shades of BL2, A1, A2 and A3, as well as B1, C1, and D2 and now is expanded to B3, C3, and D3, each in two translucencies (LT, MT). Furthermore, the material will now be available to the laboratory in the colours MO1, MO2 and BL1 for specific use in discoloured stumps. Thus, it is even easier for the dental technician to accurately reproduce the shade.

A major benefit for the holistic materials concept is the uniform aesthetics option: both Cercon and Celtra Press can be veneered with the veneering ceramic Celtra Ceram. This provides a great basis for perfect harmony between a zirconia bridge in the posterior tooth region and crowns made of extra strong glass ceramics in the anterior tooth region.

The procedures differ: Cercon zirconia is manufactured using the CAD/CAM procedure involving production units (e.g. inLab MC X5) and sintered in a sintering furnace (e.g., inFire HTC speed or inLab Prosinter). The conventional press method is available for Celtra Press. Those who wish to avoid wax knife modelling can alternatively first convert their CAD design into a millable wax model (e.g., Wax Blank by Dentsply Sirona Lab) and then use conventional methods for further processing. This combined "analog/digital" procedure is often referred to as "wax CAD". An entirely digital CAD/CAM workflow can be realised by using the monolithic ZLS Celtra Duo (e.g., inLab MC XL), with an ultimate durability (biaxial flexural strength) of 413 MPa after milling and polishing and 560 MPa after an optional glaze firing step, respectively.

Ever more positive surprises from the materials pipeline

"We have been able to pleasantly surprise customers with our innovative materials for digital or combined A/D processing," Julie Mroziak, Vice President Lab with Dentsply Sirona said. "Who would have thought a few years ago that non-veneered anterior tooth restorations made of zirconia and anterior tooth bridges made of zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate could be obvious elements of a dental laboratory's portfolio? A good balance of durability and photo-optical properties carried out by our engineers and their close collaboration with dental technicians at various labs have formed the basis for this milestone. Nowadays, they can streamline their offering for any particular case in the treatment of a patient entirely based on the indication and the specific requirements in terms of aesthetics, as well as the preferred type of fabrication".