CEREC MTL Zirconia

I teach dentists around the world how to incorporate technology into their practices, and I love hearing someone who was a bit skeptical about it turn around and say, “Thanks for pushing me to do this.” While I’m pushing dentists to dive into technology, the milling materials on the market are pushing limits of their own by expanding same-day treatment possibilities. One of these materials is CEREC MTL Zirconia, a strong, multitransitional layered zirconia with a fast and easy workflow.

The ability to mill same-day zirconia is huge. In our office, we can manufacture and sinter zirconia restorations in 25 to 30 minutes—a process that in the past could take up to 24 hours. Zirconia mills in an expanded state, which means we’re able to get a more intimate fit to all our preparations. And because we can cement it, we don’t have to worry about keeping things super dry like we would when bonding in a glass restoration. It makes things more predictable and easier to trust as you go forward.

Zirconia's Shining Moments

CEREC MTL Zirconia really shines when we’re restoring posterior teeth, working in areas where isolation is a challenge, or dealing with more difficult preparations. These are all spots where zirconia can be really forgiving. For example, in areas where there’s not a lot of clearance between the upper and lower teeth, the material can be milled 0.6-mm thick and still be extremely strong.

Easy to Mill, Quick to Deliver

The easy milling process with CEREC MTL Zirconia is helpful for my staff, too, and they love being hands-on with the CEREC system. I like to take the scan and do the design myself because I use that time to chat with the patient and show them what’s going on in a fun and engaging way. Once that part is done, I send the design file off to the Primemill and my staff takes over—from milling and sintering the restoration to polishing and sandblasting. When the crown is ready, I go back in the room to cement it into place, and we’re done! I can use all that manufacturing time to be productive somewhere else, do a hygiene check, or just relax with a cup of coffee.

My father was a dentist, and he used to say that when patients are having a problem with their mouth, we have a responsibility to be there for them—even if that means running to the office on Christmas morning to get them out of pain. Patients are trusting us to take care of them, and in return we need to make sure we’re staying up to date and using the best technology available to do that.