Dental Education Center

Ceramic

i. Conventional Ceramic (stacked): Conventional ceramic is used for veneers, or for veering core or substructure materials made of metal, pressed ceramic, high strength pressed ceramic, and high strength milled ceramic. In general it is the weakest ceramic requiring bonding to tooth structure or fusing to a ceramic or metal substructure. Conventional ceramics have been in existence the longest and have highly advanced esthetic components.

  1. Specific Brands: (see services section for application information)
    1. Omega 900 (Vita), available in Vita 3-D Shades. Recommended for veneers, all ceramic crowns, and ceramometal restorations.
    2. Finess (Dentsply) Vita Classic Shades only. Lower fusing (temperature) ceramic. Used when a lower wearing ceramic is desired. Used over metal and Finesse Pressed Ceramic.
    3. HeraCeram (Heraeus Kulzer) available in Vita 3-D Shades. Used to veneer metal and Heraceram pressed ceramic.
    4. VM 9 (Vita) available in Vita 3-D Shades. Used over zirconium substructures.
    5. Cerabien (Noritake) available Vita Classic Shades. Used over alumina substructures.

ii. Pressed Ceramic: Pressed ceramic is used for almost every type of all ceramic single unit restoration. It is stronger than conventional ceramic and in general has a lower wear potential against natural teeth.

  1. Specific Brands: (see services section for application information)
    1. Finess (Dentsply), OPC ( Pentron), HeraCeram Press (Heraeus Kulzer) All of these products are similar in application.

iii. High Strength Ceramic: High strength pressed ceramic is a pressed high strength core over which stacked ceramic is layered. It is designed and used similar to a metal substructure. It is less translucent than pressed ceramic but more translucent than high strength core ceramics. It can be used for short span anterior bridges or when a stronger bonded all ceramic single unit restoration is desired.

  1. Specific Brands: (see services section for application information)
    1. 3-G (Pentron)

iv. High Strength Milled Ceramic: High strength milled ceramic is used when maximum strength is required from an all ceramic restoration. They can be used for crowns and bridges. They are not recommended for inlays, onlays or veneers.

  1. Specific Brands: (see services section for application information)
    1. Lava (3M-ESPE) Zirconium
    2. Procera (Nobel Biocare) Zirconium and Alumina