Dental Tribune Middle East & Africa Edition | 2/2020 ◊Page B2 LAB TRIBUNE B 3 sinters a single-tooth crown, such as the one discussed here, in just under two hours. The sintered restoration in this case showed exceptional ac- curacy of fit on the model immedi- ately after firing (Fig. 3). The crown was imparted with lifelike characteristics using the IPS e.max Ceram base shade BL1 (Figs 4 and 5). The unusually light colour of our pa- tient’s teeth presented a major chal- lenge. In cases such as the present one, the Enamel and Effect materials of the IPS e.max Ceram Selection as- sortment offer the dental technician exceptional freedom of creativity in applying the individualized layers to the restoration. The brightness of the tooth is easy to control and nat- ural-looking effects can be created to achieve highly esthetic results. We placed special emphasis on re- producing the incisal dentin struc- ture. Tooth 11 shows a distinct bluish translucent incisal area with dentin lobes running through it. Neverthe- less, the incisal edge is comparably opaque. The shape and play of col- our as well as the inner structure and the surface texture of the natural adjacent tooth were reproduced suc- cessfully. The stains and glazes of the IPS Ivocolor assortment were used to give the restoration the appropri- ate finish and surface gloss. Figure 6 shows the completed restoration on the model. The moment of truth The try-in appointment could not have gone better. The crown showed impeccable fit and it looked lovely. The photos shown in Figures 7 and 8 were taken when the crown was tried in. They clearly show the im- pressive esthetic properties of the Gradient Technology. Despite a very challenging situation involving very light teeth on the one hand and a dark tooth preparation on the other, IPS e.max ZirCAD Prime managed to fulfil two different tasks: That is, it effectively masks the stained tooth structure in the cervical area and at the same time it looks incredibly lifelike as a result of the recreated mamelons and the built-up translu- cent segments. The play of light and colour intensifies towards the incisal edge and produces a harmonious overall result, which allows the tooth to blend in smoothly with the natu- ral adjacent teeth. The patient’s wish for “perfect shade and anatomy” has been fulfilled (Figs 9 and 10). Impressive result The patient is proud of her smile, the attending dentist is more than satis- fied with the outcome and the dental technician is delighted because this type of work is immensely satisfying. However, exciting cases involving high-end esthetics cannot be rou- tinely expected in the dental practice and laboratory, and commercial suc- cess requires good economic think- ing. Therefore, it is gratifying to know that an all-ceramic solution is avail- able which is suitable for many dif- ferent indications, extending from single-tooth crowns to multi-unit structures and for all types of manu- facturing techniques, ranging from monolithic machining to highly es- thetic layering. By putting IPS e.max ZirCAD Prime to the ultimate test we have shown that this material is ca- pable of great things. Fig. 9: The shape and colour of the new crown on tooth 21 blend in smoothly with the surroundings. Fig. 10: The completed crown on the model. About the authors Dr Christy Savas After completing his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in 1982 at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., Dr. Christy Savas settled in Worcester with his wife, Donna, a native of this area. He opened a dental office in Worcester County and has served patients for more than 30 years. Because the health of your teeth and mouth play such an important role in your overall health, Dr. Savas is constantly involved in continuing education. This helps our dental office stay abreast of the latest treatments and techniques in the dental field. Dr. Savas is a member of two local dental study clubs, including the Spear Education Club, led Dr. Frank Spear. He is also the former President of the Cen- tral Massachusetts Implant Dental Study Group. When he’s not seeing patients, Dr. Savas enjoys playing golf, kayaking and spending a day at the beach with Donna and their four adult children. Yuki Momma, RDT Yuki Momma, RDT graduated from Yukio- ka Dental Technician School in Japan. In 2000, he joined to Miyamoto Den- tal Clinic where he could directly have feedbacks on each restorations he made. While working at the clinic, he challenged himself by studying at Osaka Ceramic Training Center. Upon his completion at the training center, he moved to Boston and started working as a Master Cera- mist at Gnathos Dental Studio in Weston, Massachusetts. He built his skillset as a ceramist for 7 years and, in 2017, founded the Ceramic Artisan Dental Lab. Since he started his own laboratory, his focus has increasingly been on the publication of professional articles and lecturing. His articles have been published in the 16th issue of DTG Magazine and in the spring 2018 issue of Labline. He was also a speaker at the DTG Symposium 2018 and gave his first hands-on courses in Septem- ber 2018 in Boston and May 2019 in New York, already followed by many more lec- tures and courses. COVID-19: FEPPD provides advice for dental technicians and laboratory owners By Dental Tribune International BRUSSELS, Belgium: At this point, cases of COVID-19 have been found in every European country and terri- tory. Against this backdrop, the Euro- pean and International Federation of Dental Laboratory Owners and Den- tal Technicians (FEPPD) has issued guidance for Europe-based dental practitioners, cautioning them to make infection control an absolute priority in their day-to-day work. The FEPPD was founded in 1953 and represents 40,000 dental laborato- ries and 210,000 dental technicians across Europe. It recently cancelled its annual general meeting, which had been scheduled for May in Croa- tia, when the lasting influence that the COVID-19 pandemic would have throughout Europe and beyond be- came apparent. Now, the FEPPD’s secretary general, Pierre Zammit, has written to the organisation’s members about the risks presented by handling dental impressions and other dental devices. dental clinics and dental laboratories should now be particularly meticu- lously observed in order to ensure the highest levels of disinfection. “Safety is paramount for the well- being of all practitioners and their loved ones,” he continued, empha- sising the extreme danger posed by the fast transmission of the virus and the severe health implications for anyone infected by it. He added that it was in the interests of all stake- holders in the dental industry to avoid infection incidents involving third parties. The result of the pre- cautions taken now would be that, at the end of the COVID-19 saga, dental patients would be able to continue to return for their services with confi- dence, he stated. “Common sense in dealing with the present situation, a total back-to- basics approach, plus a commitment by one and all to the correct civil be- haviour” would enable FEPPD mem- bers to see the light at the end of the tunnel, concluded Zammit. Although cross-infection procedures were expected to have been in place before the SARS-CoV-2 virus reached the European continent, Zammit stressed that best practices among As of March 29, there were 638,146 confirmed cases of COVID-19 throughout the world and 30,039 associated deaths, according to the World Health Organization. k c o t s r e t t u h S / a c i g a M a L o d u t S © i The European and International Federation of Dental Laboratory Owners and Dental Technicians has strongly emphasised the need for excellent infection control in a recent missive regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.