implants - international magazine of oral implantology

I industry report _Introduction Whendamagetodentitionistoosevereforrestora- tive treatment to be feasible, conventional dentures havebeenthetreatmentofchoice.Conventionalden- tures, however, can be foul smelling and uncomfort- able.1 Additionally,jawboneresorptioncausestheden- tures to become loose over time requiring readjust- mentofthejawtoensureaproperfit.2 In some cases, if resorption has already occurred, the patient will no longer have sufficient bone struc- ture to support dentures.2 To overcome the disadvan- tagesassociatedwithconventionaldentures,newim- plant materials and techniques have been developed, providing the growing edentulous population with moreopportunitiesforfunctional,stableandcomfort- abletreatmentsaswellasdecreasedboneloss.3 Dueto the amount of masticatory forces placed on the pros- theses as a result of implant support, stronger, more durablesubstructuresanddentureteetharenecessary toaccommodatewear.3 Zirconia is one of the strongest materials available in the dental industry today demonstrating a flexural strength of approximately 900–1,100MPa.4 Ideal for high-stress restorations, including implant dentures, zirconia restorations boast a failure-free reputation according to current research.5 Designed and fabri- cated using CAD/CAM technology, zirconia substruc- tures are stronger and more durable than traditional denture prostheses.6 Innovative techniques provide long-termandpatient-pleasingresults. Whenfittedwithcustomisedlithiumdisilicateden- tition,fixedimplantprostheticswillnotdevelopafoul smell, require no realignment and provide a pre- dictable,highlyaestheticandlife-longsolution.Inad- dition, CAD/CAM technology can be used in the office or laboratory for indications including full-mouth restorations, fixed partial dentures, implant abut- ments, crowns, veneers, inlays, and onlays,7 contribut- ingtofasterandeasierrestorativetreatments. Suitable for restorations requiring high strength andexceptionaldurability,IPSe.maxZirCAD(IvoclarVi- vadent) is a yttrium-stabilised zirconia demonstrating a flexural strength of more than 900 MPa, and a frac- ture toughness of more than twice that of glass-ce- ramicmaterials.8 With approximately 50 per cent porosity, the pre- sintered blocks allow easy processing. Yet, once sin- teredtofulldensity,itssuperiorstrengthandinertness make it an ideal material for dental restorations.8 IPS e.max ZirCad blocks (Ivoclar Vivadent) meet the func- tional requirements demanded by posterior mastica- toryforces. Despite the use of different IPS e.max framework materials (lithium disilicate or zirconium oxide), aes- theticresultscanstillbeachievedduetoaselectionof natural and shaded pre-sintered zirconium oxide blocksforcolourversatility,andwhenlayeredwithaes- thetic ceramic materials, such as IPS e.max Ceram (IvoclarVivadent),goodaestheticscanbeattained.9 The lithium disilicate ingots are specifically de- signedforpress-onproceduresindicatedforzirconium oxide-supported gingiva portions, single-tooth restorations, anterior and posterior bridges, inlay-re- tainedbridges,andimplantsuperstructures.10 The finesse of the pink and the power of IPS e.max Authors_Rafael Santrich & Dr Larry Grillo, USA 36 I implants2_2013