IPS e.max CAD changed dentistry, and Ivoclar continues to develop game-changing solutions—including the newest material, ZirCAD Prime
For the last 2 decades, Ivoclar has set the industry standard for all-ceramic dental restorations, providing innovative solutions that began with IPS e.max CAD. Ivoclar has “equaled predictability” ever since, Dr. Michael Skramstad said, and no matter the e.max solution he uses, he has high expectations for esthetics and longevity.
“Ivoclar changed dentistry almost 20 years ago with the introduction of IPS e.max CAD,” he said. “Since then, they have developed materials to that very high standard they set. Simply put—they are good at making esthetic and strong restorations.”
A Unique Zirconia
One of those materials is the latest addition to the product line, the IPS e.max ZirCAD Prime block, which Dr. Skramstad began using about 2 years ago. He was quickly intrigued by the block’s multilayer composition—a feature he describes as “interesting and unique.”
“They didn't simply include different shading in the block, but they actually combined different zirconia yttria percentages to affect strength and translucency within the same block,” he said. “This has some clinical advantages that I was interested in exploring.”
Materials That Meet the Need
The 3 different yttria content combinations—3Y in the core/base, 4Y in the body, and 5Y in the incisal/occlusal area—provide many advantages when it comes to strength, opacity, and translucency, which can be manipulated within the block for different clinical situations.
“With other zirconia blocks, you have 1 yttria concentration,” Dr. Skramstad said, “so you have less clinical ability to block out a dark tooth and have translucency at the same time.”
He added that the 3Y, 4Y, and 5Y combinations also create a “nice-looking block” that can be speed-sintered in Ivoclar's Programat CS6 in 15 minutes—without any loss of strength—for greater practice efficiency.
Strength + Esthetics
Carrying on a tradition of innovation that began in 2005 with the innovative IPS e.max CAD, Ivoclar has long led the way in glass-ceramics. Now, it’s raising the bar in zirconia, too. The IPS e.max ZirCAD Prime block is designed for the demands of modern dentistry—making it easier than ever to deliver beautiful single-visit zirconia restorations with high speed and strength.
“It’s an interesting and unique block unlike any other zirconia, where it not only has multiple colors and translucencies for esthetics, but it also incorporates these zones with different opacities and strengths to help benefit some of what we do clinically,” Dr. Skramstad said. “It’s the perfect combination of strength and esthetics.”
