Dentalcompare
Clinical Director
Lava Ultimate is a new restorative material from 3M that is indicated for crowns, inlays, and onlays. It is technically a resin material 80% filled with nano-Ceramic particles. The big change here for docs with in-office CAD/CAM is that you can get a highly esthetic material that has the strength of e.Max CAD (lithium disilicate) without having to fire it at all. You lose the ability to custom glaze the material, but it polishes well and you still get a good choice of Vita shades at two different translucencies.
When it was originally released, the complaint many dentists had was that they had trouble with the insurance claims. Technically, the material is resin based, and insurance companies would not reimburse the same as a porcelain/ceramic crown. Recently, the ADA's Council on Dental Benefit Programs expanded its definition of D2740 to include Lava Ultimate, so you can bill Lava Ultimate as a porcelain crown with no ethical dilemma on your side.
This is significant in a few ways. First, it shows that the ADA is still on the side of the dentist, making sure that the insurance companies are not taking advantage of us with little random loopholes.
Second, it shows that digital CAD/CAM dentistry is here to stay. These are not cheesy, unesthetic balls of ceramic floating in a sea of resin cement. They are well fitting, good looking, high strength materials that can be manufactured right in your own office. What patient wouldn't want that?
Keep in mind that any Lava certified lab can also manufacture Lava Ultimate crowns for you as well.
Update: Since this article was published, 3M has removed the crown indication for Lava™ Ultimate CAD/CAM Restorative. The product continues to be indicated for inlays, onlays (with an internal retentive design element), and veneer restoratives, per new instructions for use.