CATEGORY 102 AUSTRALASIAN DENTIST LABS Many of us will remember the Castrol GTX commercial, when a car owner berates a mechanic for using an inferior oil is his expensive to car to save “a couple of lousy bucks”. The same applies to the zirconia we choose. Almost on a weekly basis, zirconia manufacturers contact us all over the world, namely Japan, USA, Korea, China, Germany and Austria. Just in the past 12 months, we have trialled at least six different zirconia products. At Dental Creations we are always driving efficiencies in the materials we use, our work processes and the service we provide to our clients. The overarching criteria is that our quality will not be compromised. Each zirconia trialed was put through a rigorous testing regime for aesthetics, fit, and strength. I must admit, with zirconia, resisting the sweetness of cheapness temptation is hard. Zirconia disk prices vary, between manufacturers, as much as 600%. Who hasn’t been seduced by seemingly identical products at lower prices, only to rue the day when problems arise? After extensive trials of many zirconia products available, Dental Creations exclusively use Ivoclar IPS e.max® ZirCAD zirconia, both Prime (mono) and Prime Esthetic (multilayered). A world leader in dental ceramics, we chose this premium product because Ivoclar’s IPS e.max® ZirCAD zirconia provide us with reliable, predictable and consistent results in fit, strength and aesthetics. Equally important, Ivoclar’s symbiotic range of try-in pastes, bonding cements, primers and clinical polishers perfectly match and complement their IPS e.max® ZirCAD zirconia “Oils ain’t oils, Sol” By Simon Lettas Simon Lettas Aesthetics – seamless gradient of shade and translucency u Innovative filling technology u No layers within the disc u Smooth transition between the dentin and the enamel Fit – adjusted sintering kinetics due to advanced and optimised powder conditioning u For uniform shrinkage behaviour u For exceptional accuracy of fit Compaction of the discs by means of Cold Isostatic Pressing (CIP) u Enhanced microstructure u Optimised translucency Highly translucent incisal zone u Highest level of translucency in the incisal zone u Highly aesthetic 5Y-TZP zirconium oxide u Flexural strength: 650 MPa[4] u 3-mm thickness, irrespective of the disc thickness Innovative transition zone u Seamless, layer-free transition zone u Natural shading from the dentin to the enamel u Progressively higher translucency towards the incisal zone u Progressively higher flexural strength towards the cervical area u 4-mm thickness, irrespective of the disc thickness High-strength dentin zone u Maximum stability in the tooth neck area u Coordinated shading and translucency IPS e.max ZirCAD Prime Esthetic: 4Y-TZP u zirconium oxide exhibiting a flexural strength of 850 MPa[5] u IPS e.max ZirCAD Prime: high-strength 3Y-TZP zirconium oxide exhibiting a flexural strength of 1200 MPa[5] u Thickness varies depending on the thickness of the disc (7-18mm) Simon Lettas, a master dental technician with 35 years’ experience, heads a passionate team of 12 at Dental Creations. Large enough to handle capacity and workshop solutions for complex cases but also manageable for premium quality control. “Dentistry has taken quantum leaps in recent years. I’m very lucky not only to have honed my skills working with the old ways but also young enough to see the introduction, and kept abreast of, new technologies.” u
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