CAD/CAM: What requirements should a good material for chairside manufacturing fulfil?

As dental CAD/CAM systems have become established in dentistry, the vision of producing indirect restorations in the dental practice has become reality. Chairside manufacturing requires not only the appropriate technical equipment but also materials that are fit for the purpose. Dr Andreas Kurbad from Germany is a CAD/CAM professional. He has been dedicated to the chairside manufacturing of restorations for many years. Today, he tells us about the material's must-haves to be the material of choice.

Suitable materials such as lithium disilicate glass-ceramics are essential for chairside manufacturing.

For a material to be suitable for chairside processing it should meet a number of criteria, as Dr Andreas Kurbad points out: “For instance, the material should be strong enough to withstand a lifetime of use.” However, according to Dr Kurbard, materials that are too strong are difficult to process in a milling and grinding unit, especially since onsite manufacturing processes are expected to take only a short time. “Another requirement is that the material should exhibit a tooth-like esthetic appearance, for instance in terms of its shade attributes,” the CAD/CAM professional adds. “The appearance should meet a certain esthetic sensibility.” After all, onsite fabrication methods are not conceived for elaborate enhancements, such as ceramic veneers.

In the opinion of Dr Kurbad, chairside materials should fulfil the following basic requirements:

• Good resistance to oral conditions
• High strength
• Easy and fast machining in the milling and grinding unit
• Tooth-like esthetic properties

As the title of the article already indicates, Dr Andreas Kurbad has been using IPS e.max CAD – his material of choice for chairside restorations – for now over 10 years with good success.

Your trust; our promise

That is why we offer your dentist-dental technician team a 10-year guarantee on newly placed IPS e.max restorations. The IPS e.max guarantee is valid from 1 July 2020 and also applies retroactively for five years for dental restorations that were permanently placed on 1 July 2015 or later. The IPS e.max guarantee gives you additional confidence and peace of mind.