Lithium disilicate eliminates the need for metal and zirconia frameworks, standardizes fabrication procedures and offers a wide range of indications.
A post-operative view of a single anterior restoration, tooth # 8 fabricated using IPS e.max Press (lithium disilicate). |
Lithium disilicate is a strong, all-ceramic material available in ingots for pressing (IPS e.max Press) and in blocks that can be milled with several different CAD/CAM milling machines (IPS e.max CAD). It’s available in many shades, both chromatic (dentin) and bleach, and has a wide variety of uses including limited-size bridges, anterior and posterior full contour crowns, inlays and onlays, veneers, minimal prep veneers, telescopic crowns for masking dark preparations and adding dentine when inadequate, and telescopic bridges for supporting veneers within smile design.
Because lithium disilicate is a monolithic material, it eliminates the need for a framework, which offers these advantages:
- Less invasive preparations
- More esthetic restorations
- Easier fabrication techniques
- Improved laboratory production
- Improved laboratory economy
- Standardized laboratory protocols
- Facilitates laboratory standards
A final full maxillary arch, implant-supported, hybrid zirconium bar with individual IPS e.max Press (lithium disilicate) crowns. |
As all-ceramic materials become stronger, the need for both metal and zirconium frameworks will diminish and we’ll see the demise of some outdated and costly fabrication techniques. For instance, the use of frameworks for single-unit restorations is all but obsolete in my opinion, thanks in large part to the fact that lithium disilicate restorations can be adhesively bonded or cemented in the traditional way. Fabricating fully anatomical restorations without frameworks is the future of dental technology.
These restorations can be stained and glazed and/or cut back, require less ceramic layering and can be fabricated both digitally and with lost wax techniques. The result is a more esthetic restoration that’s easier to replicate consistently with less expense and less labor. Another distinct advantage is the elimination of using dissimilar materials which often have completely different thermal characteristics that can impact the quality of the restoration.