Zirconia is revolutionizing the dental materials world. We all know this, and enjoy it’s predictability, accurate machining, and strength. However, the biggest hurdle has been the esthetic value of zirconia. Sure, there are brands and techniques that can give one a translucent nature to zirconia (5Y-TZP) but it takes a LONG time for sintering, and…
Ivoclar Vivadent’s Multiblock Turns 12
One of the big advancements in CAD/CAM dentistry materials was the launch of the Multiblock from Ivoclar Vivadent in 2007. It was from their very popular line of Empress CAD blocks and pressed material. They were able to make a block with a varying degree of translucency. The shade stayed the same, but translucency increased. …
Watch Your Step!
When you think of deadliest jobs many people immediately think of crab fishing in Alaska or being on a ship in Alaska period. The men and women who work in Alaska fishing and shipping do have jobs that are unforgiving when a mistake is made. However, we should all be aware of our surroundings because…
Simply Put: Only Two Shades Needed!
One of our patients needed her old porcelain fused to metal crown replaced after a root canal. This is an excellent opportunity to jazz up the esthetics, especially after bleaching. How many times have you seen this where they bleached years after a PFM was placed??!! Picking the right shade is important, but also a…
No Crowns Necessary with eMax CAD
If you’ve followed this website, you have seen a lot of partial coverage restorations by me. I am very conservative in my decisions on when to “cover” cusps or where to leave margins. After completing thousands of partial coverage restorations, the hard guidelines that we tend to follow don’t always seem to be of importance.…
eMax CAD + Fuji Plus 6 Years
I get this question a lot, a lot: What cement do you use for eMax CAD? Well, it depends. It depends on the preparation style and the clinical situation. If the preparation has adequate occlusal reduction and has good mechanical resistance/retention forms, I have no problem with “cementing” with a RMGI (resin modified glass ionomer.) …
Gold Bites
Gold is not the best material for teeth. As a dentist, I can’t believe I’m saying this because I’ve heard the contrary my entire career. A mother was teaching a daughter how to bake a roast. They cut the end of the roast off, put it in the pan, and into the oven. The inquisitive…
Digitally Upgraded Veneers
Having completed many one-day cosmetic makeovers for my patients, and having it done to me as well, the one thing I hear more often than not is: “I don’t want to go through the temporary stage.” Like it or not, our patients do not want to have provisionals. Can provisionals be helpful? Of course, but…
Five Year Recall CEREC and eMax CAD
What you leave behind is really what matters in the long run. eMax CAD has proven to be the “sweet spot” of dental ceramics with it’ excellent esthetics, strength, and longevity. Combine it with CEREC and you have an amazing way to restore teeth: a great material with a great one-visit process. This crown was…
Stain and Glaze Tip
One simple feature of a better looking molar is to “not let two cusps touch.” When you have this in mind, it is easier to map out an occlusal fissure system. As you see on this case, the mesio-buccal and the disto-lingual cusps do not “touch” on the occlusal surface. If they did, the fissure…