Lava Zirconia - Tried and True Product February 2010
Lava Zirconia
Lava Zirconia is the brand of zirconia most requested by dentists in the United States for crowns and bridges.
Lava Zirconia was introduced as a better alternative to porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) copings. As dentists know, not all zirconia is created equal. While other brands of zirconia can be chemically similar, once they are processed, the mechanical and optical characteristics can be significantly different, which can have a serious impact on the reliability of the final restoration. However, 3M ESPE's Lava system helps maximize the potential of its unique zirconia. Lava Zirconia is processed differently from other zirconia, with a proprietary formulation designed to enhance its translucency, marginal fit, and strength.
Long-Term Results
Zirconia is regarded as having the highest strength and fracture toughness in dentistry. Many in vitro studies show the excellent mechanical properties of zirconia compared to other ceramic materials, and clinical studies confirm the results of the in vitro tests. Study results recently published in The Dental Advisor examined the 6-year clinical performance of Lava Zirconia. The study found that “3M ESPE Lava Crowns and Bridges performed exceptionally well over the 6-year evaluation period in their resistance to fracture and marginal staining and exhibited minimal wear.”1 Additional studies have shown similarly strong results.
Strength
While long term results continue to build, one study on the 5-year clinical results for Lava crowns and bridges found no failures among bridges that could be recalled after 5 years. Recently released data from the largest dental laboratory in the United States shows clinical success rates of Lava zirconia restorations at 98.4%2 over thousands of restorations, similar to the success rates of porcelain-fused-to-metal restorations. Additionally, the precise computer-aided design enabled by Lava Design Software 5.0 helps ensure optimal crown strength and porcelain support contributing to its long-term success.
Marginal Fit
Marginal fit is an important characteristic that can contribute to the clinical performance of a restoration. The accuracy and ability of all CAD/CAM technologies to implement the predetermined fit depends on the accuracy of the entire system, from the scanning device to the milling material and milling unit. In the case of presintered ceramic such as zirconia, the homogeneity of the material is especially important, as it controls shrinkage during the final sintering process. Lava zirconia has performed well in this regard, with multiple studies showing it had the lowest marginal gap among systems tested.3-5 Evidence demonstrates that the Lava CAD/CAM system in combination with Lava Zirconia results in an excellent fit of restorations, showing not only the high accuracy of the scanning and milling device, but also the high homogeneity of the zirconia material.
Translucency
The translucency of the core ceramic material is an important esthetic factor, which depends on the material’s color, its thickness, and the structure and porosity of the ceramic. Lava Zirconia has shown a significantly higher translucency than other restorations of the same thickness, highlighting the fact that although zirconia materials may be chemically similar, they are not necessarily alike. Additionally, because Lava restorations only require a wall thickness of 0.3 mm in the anterior, their translucency is significantly increased when wall thickness is reduced from 0.5 mm to 0.3 mm.6
A Proven Solution
Every day, more dentists ask their labs for the Lava brand from 3M ESPE, because they know that the combination of materials and precision milling produces a strong, esthetic, proven restoration with an excellent marginal fit. With its Lava Precision Solutions portfolio, 3M ESPE continues to integrate digital technology and material science in an intuitive way to help dentists offer superior oral care.
References
1. 3M ESPE Lava Crowns and Bridges 6-Year Clinical Performance. The Dental Advisor. August, 2009.
2. Glidewell Laboratories, restorations fabricated between 7/1/08 and 9/30/08, 3MESPE.com/Lava.
3. Piwowarczyk A, Lauer H-C. Determining the marginal fit of CAD/CAM bridge frameworks. Pan European Federation Conference (PEF; CED), 2006 [Abstract 0254].
4. Beuer F, Fischer T, Erdelt K.-J, et al. In vitro study marginal fit of Lava restorations. J Dent Res. 84 (Spec Iss A):1336, 2005 (www.dentalresearch.org).
5. Shannon AJT, Qian F, Tan P, et al In-vitro vertical marginal gap comparison of CAD/CAM zirconium copings. J Dent Res. 86 (Spec Iss A):0828, 2007 (www.dentalresearch.org).
6. Scotti R, Baldissara P, Llukacej A, et al., Translucency of different zirconia materials. Academy of Dental Materials Conference, 2006 [Abstract 103].
