This interview with Dr. Andreas Reiger from Thalheim, Germany, discusses the use of VITA ENAMIC multiColor in the aesthetic area of minimally invasive restorations. Dr. Reiger discusses the case of a young female patient who was dissatisfied with the results of her glass ceramic veneer restoration.
The patient chose the VITA ENAMIC multiColor blanks due to their dynamic shade progression and natural transparency. The case required four hybrid ceramic veneers with a minimum wall thickness of 0.2 mm. Dr. Reiger stressed the importance of careful planning and presented the advantages of hybrid ceramics in terms of both esthetics and functionality, as well as recommendations for handling these materials.
He highlighted the success of the restoration, which resulted in a natural and harmonious tooth appearance without additional dentin removal, and was very satisfying to the patient.
In the following interview, we hear from dentist Dr. Andreas Reiger (Thalheim, Germany), who shows us the possibilities of minimally invasive aesthetic reconstruction in the anterior area with VITA ENAMIC multicolor blanks (VITA Zahnfabrik, Bad Säckingen, Germany).
He explains this with a case study of a young female patient, for whom he provided four hybrid ceramic veneers with a wall thickness of only 0.2 mm in the cervical area 12 to 22.
He also gives advice on what dental practices and laboratories should consider when working with hybrid ceramics.
Why was VITA ENAMIC Multi-color Hybrid Ceramic blank chosen for the restoration for this patient?
Staining is the only way to reproduce the tooth-shade gradations and natural translucency of a single-color CAD/CAM blank.
The finely graded layer structure already integrates the two multi-color VITA ENAMIC Multi-color blanks. As a result, the restoration made from this material blank already looks very vibrant from the inside.
What clinical challenges did you face in this case, and what problems can Multi-color Hybrid Ceramic help solve?
The young patient was not satisfied with the esthetic results of the veneers on her maxillary incisors. In order to achieve a more harmonious arch curve, the labial surfaces of the incisors needed to be shifted towards the palatal side. Of course, I wanted to do the subsequent preparation in a minimally invasive way and avoid “sacrificing” any additional dentin.
The thin minimum layer thickness of the hybrid ceramic, only 0.2 mm in the cervical area, is particularly advantageous.
In your opinion, which handling and treatment steps are decisive for the clinical and cosmetic success of the treatment in this case?
Planning is crucial in this case so that both I and the patient know in advance what the final restoration will look like. In the laboratory, I made a classic wax-up based on the prepared model and scanned the wax-up based on the digenetic calculation of the veneer in order to determine the final length and width.
In order to achieve an almost natural, vibrant result, what should clinicians look for during the extraoral and intraoral finalization of the hybrid ceramic crown?
As the saying goes: “Less is more!” The morphology and surface texture of the natural tooth are crucial. The labial surface of the restoration should not be completely flat. A realistic texture must be deliberately added before high-gloss polishing. The six layers of VITA ENAMIC multi-color blocks with their nuanced tones and translucent contours ensure a natural appearance of the restoration.
So what is the aesthetic potential of the new custom-made multi-color blanks for frontal restorations? What are their limitations?
Especially in cases with low thickness and supported by natural hard tooth substance, the material fully demonstrates its minimally invasive and aesthetic potential. In addition, the restoration can be inserted directly after polishing, without the need for crystallization, sintering, healing and customized firing. In the case just described, the patient had a complete restoration in just five hours.
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