Experienced CEREC Dentists Welcome Zirconium Oxide for Single-Visit Treatment

At the end of the Chicago Midwinter Meeting in February, Dentsply Sirona CAD/CAM revealed the innovative CEREC Zirconia workflow, which allows zirconia (a high-performance material) restorations to be completed in a single visit. At a three-day workshop held from March 10 to 12, 2016, at Dentsply Sirona in Bensheim, 150 CEREC trainers and dentists from Germany and abroad had the exclusive opportunity of experiencing this completely new process live. Mike DiTolla, director of clinical affairs at Dentsply Sirona CAD/CAM, guided them through the program.

CEREC Zirconia lends itself to chairside production

Roddy MacLeod, Vice President of Dental CAD/CAM Systems at Dentsply Sirona, explained how short the processing times are for full crowns and bridges in one visit with CEREC Zirconia. The material, which is very popular among dentists because of its high flexural strength and biocompatibility and which also allows tooth-preserving preparation, can now be dry milled to save time and then sintered in the new CEREC SpeedFire furnace in 10 to 15 minutes. "The time needed for producing crowns for posterior teeth from CEREC Zirconia is comparable with the previous standard CEREC processes and can thus also be considered a chairside process," says Dr. Klaus Wiedhahn from Buchholz.

In two chairside courses, one for producing a single crown and the second for producing a bridge, the dentists had the opportunity to go through the entire CEREC Zirconia workflow. "Learning the workflow to produce full zirconia restorations with CEREC is not difficult at all," says Dr. Günter Fritzsche from Hamburg. "The individual steps such as sintering or glazing are indicated on the tablet and it is easy to go through them."

Minimally invasive preparation and conventional cementing

The participants found the monolithic form of the restorations to be a great benefit, as there is no risk of chipping. "Thanks to the thin walls, I can now make minimally invasive preparations with untroubled certainty. The surface design when milling is very convincing. And the edges can also be formed very well," Dr. Peter Schneider from Heidelberg says enthusiastically. Another plus for dentists is that zirconium oxide can be cemented conventionally. The selection of colors also fits the new options: CEREC Zirconia is a pre-shaded translucent zirconium oxide that is available in ten colors based on the VITA Classic Shade Guide®.

Prof. Dr. Albert Mehl (Zürich), director of the department of computer-aided restorative dentistry at the Center for Dentistry, Oral Medicine, and Orthodontics at Zürich University, presented background information on full zirconia as part of the CEREC material portfolio. Rella Christensen (Provo, Utah, USA) presented a review of studies on full zirconia – the material is well tested and proven. CEREC testers, including Dr. Mike Skramstad (Orono, Minnesota, USA), contributed their initial experiences. He believes, "The material we put in a patient's mouth must still work in the years to come. This is why I am so impressed with monolithic crowns made of zirconium oxide."

On the third day of the event, participants had the opportunity to discuss their experiences from the previous day, ask questions about the CEREC Zirconia workflow, and speak with the manufacturer. The CEREC experts are thus actively involved in new developments in CAD/CAM technology and can contribute their practical expertise to the process.

About Dentsply Sirona

Dentsply Sirona is the world's largest manufacturer of professional dental products and technologies, with a 130-year history of innovation and service to the dental industry and patients worldwide. Dentsply Sirona develops, manufactures, and markets a comprehensive solutions offering including dental and oral health products as well as other consumable medical devices under a strong portfolio of world class brands. As The Dental Solutions CompanyTM, Dentsply Sirona's products provide innovative, high-quality and effective solutions to advance patient care and deliver better, safer and faster dentistry. Dentsply Sirona's global headquarters is located in York, Pennsylvania, and the international headquarters is based in Salzburg, Austria. The company's shares are listed in the United States on NASDAQ under the symbol XRAY.