No one likes trade-offs, and that includes Dr. Jeffrey Briney. As a CEREC user for 15 years who mills every restoration on-site, he would welcome faster milling and sintering times but knows that “accuracy and esthetics are more important than time.” With that in mind, he chose a milling block with superior strength and average cosmetics, but was still not completely satisfied.
“I have been looking for a true esthetic chairside zirconia material that doesn’t look chalky and monotone,” explained Dr. Briney. After years of searching, he finally found the perfect balance of strength and esthetics in Kuraray’s KATANA Zirconia ONE, a complete chairside fabrication solution that provides strength, esthetics, and workflow efficiency all in one zirconia block.
“Finally, we have an esthetic zirconia I’m proud to place in my patients’ mouths,” declared Dr. Briney after fabricating several single-unit crowns and 3-unit bridges with KATANA Zirconia ONE and the CEREC workflow. “The results were beyond my expectations. In all cases, KATANA Zirconia ONE provided me with confidence that this material would not fail and would provide my patients with a successful prognosis.” He added, “I can’t wait to use it for my cosmetic makeovers rather than sacrificing esthetics for strength.” Dr. Briney is not alone, with Dr. Marisol King calling KATANA Zirconia ONE “the best on the market for shade stability and esthetics.”
Improved Workflow
By combining Kuraray’s superior materials technology with Dentsply Sirona’s CEREC Primemill and CEREC SpeedFire, milling is accomplished in under 5 minutes and sintering in 18 minutes. “KATANA Zirconia ONE helped streamline and simplify the digital workflow,” said Dr. Bilyana Tesic, who appreciates “the versatility and impressive milling and sintering times.” For Dr. King, “the milling speed and fire time were exceptional,” and Dr. Bob Conte called the workflow “very smooth and efficient.” When using KATANA Zirconia ONE to replace fractured PFM crowns, Dr. Briney scanned with CEREC Primescan, designed teeth Nos. 18 and 31 within 2 minutes, milled for 6 minutes each, and sintered for 18 minutes. “Both crowns were treated and bonded without any adjustments, and the patient was impressed and happy with the final results,” he reported.
Esthetics & Strength
With KATANA Zirconia ONE, one block fits any crown and another block fits any bridge. Four layers of zirconia in gradated shades produce natural-appearing restorations, and 14 shade options are available. Smooth margins with excellent fit ensure long-term mechanical and biologic success.
No other zirconia product “can come close to how beautifully it polishes and finishes, and the marginal integrity is just perfect,” said Dr. King. Dr. Conte called KATANA Zirconia ONE “the most esthetic zirconia for CEREC to date,” and Dr. Hibret Benjamin said it’s “smooth and predictable” with esthetic blending that’s “superior to my current materials.” Dr. Alan Howard said, “It is the most esthetic zirconia I’ve used,” and Dr. Tesic said, “Su-per translucency and 4 layers of gradated shades make color matching much easier.”
“I loved that each restoration’s margins were precise without chipping and were completely sealed,” noted Dr. Briney. Calling it “more esthetic than expected,” Dr. Lance Teramoto also praised the material’s strength. “The added strength and comparable esthetics make it a winner,” declared Dr. Ross Isbell. “Color layering creates a natural shade gradient toward the gingival margin, and polishing gives a glorious shine that doesn’t need glazing. I can reduce less and still feel confident of fracture resistance,” he explained.
Practice Benefits
“Patients are absolutely blown away that we can offer same-day multiunit restoration solutions, and it has led to a tremendous number of referrals,” said Dr. King. “Being able to give patients a strong, durable crown/bridge that’s also highly esthetic is a real game changer” for Dr. Teramoto, who appreciates the time and money saved with chairside fabrication. “When I can confidently give my patients precise margins, strength, and esthetics, I can leave at the end of the day knowing I’ve provided them with one of the most advanced materials in our industry,” shared Dr. Briney.
Overall Satisfaction
“KATANA Zirconia ONE is definitely my new favorite,” shared Dr. Tesic, while Dr. Conte called it “our go-to block for a large percentage of cases.” Dr. Benjamin said, “I will always have this product in the office,” and Dr. Briney concluded, “I love, love, love this product and am already buying more.” Noting that “it’s wonderful to offer beautiful same-day zirconia bridges,” Dr. King declared, “It really is the best zirconia product out there.”
