IPS e. max vs Lumineers®
Please compare, research and decide with informed knowledge never before available to consumers of cosmetic dentistry!
The following information is highly technical gathered through global research by NYU School of Dental Medicine, global labs, practitioners and Ivoclar Vivadent. The bottom line is there is no other materials Veneers on the market come close in quality. No matter what any company claims this is the only patented materials on the market. Don't be mislead by slick advertising and claims without extensive research IPS e. max has undergone. Some companies claim unique formulas that are not manufactured under the highest quality controls.
Google, Ivoclar Vivadent IPS e. max to see tens of thousand of documents to prove who, what, and how this is the only choice in the marketplace. All figures and exhibits can be found at
www.ivoclarvivadent.us
Lithium Disilicate: The Future Of All-Ceramic Cosmetic Dentistry, Porcelain Veneers
Lithium Disilicate: The Future Of All-Ceramic Dentistry Introduction
Significant developments in all-ceramic materials have created wonderful opportunities for the fabrication of lifelike restorations that provide reliable, long-term results. To maximize the functional requirements of these materials, Ivoclar Vivadent, Inc. has introduced IPS e.max lithium disilicate glass ceramic, a material that provides optimum esthetics, yet has the strength to enable conventional or adhesive cementation.
IPS e.max lithium disilicate has a needle-like crystal structure that offers excellent strength and durability as well as outstanding optical properties. IPS e.max lithium disilicate can be traditionally pressed or contemporarily processed via CAD/CAM technology. Due to its strength and versatility, the material can be utilized for the following applications:
• Anterior/posterior crowns
• Inlays/onlays
• Veneers
• Thin veneers
• Telescopic crowns
• Implant restorations
• Anterior three-unit bridgework up to the second premolar (press only)
Material Science
A. Processing
Glass ceramics are categorized according to their
chemical composition and/or application. The IPS
e.max lithium disilicate is composed of quartz,
lithium dioxide, phosphor oxide, alumina,
potassium oxide, and other components.
These powders are combined to produce a glass melt.
Once the proper viscosity is achieved, similar to that of
honey, the glass melt is poured into a separable steel
mould of the proper shape.
The material is then left to cool in the mold until
it reaches a temperature that no deformations occur.
This process produces minimal pores or other internal
defects due to the glass flow process and provides for
easy quality control due to the translucent nature of the
glass. The blocks or ingots are produced in one batch
depending on the shade and size of the materials (Figure
1). Overall, this composition yields a highly thermal
shock-resistant glass ceramic due to the low thermal
expansion that results when it is manufactured.The glass
ingots or blocks are then processed using the lost-wax
hot pressing techniques (IPS e.max Press) or state-of-the art
CAD/CAM milling procedures (IPS e.max CAD).
The IPS e.max CAD “blue block” uses a two-stage crystallization process. The two-stage crystallization uses a controlled double nucleation process where lithium meta-silicate crystals are precipitated during the first step (Figure 2). The resulting glass ceramic demonstrates
excellent processing properties for milling and tends to be a “blue color” in this state depending on
the amount of added colorant. In a second heat treating step preformed after the milling process
has occurred, the meta-silicate phase is completely dissolved and the lithium disilicate crystallizes. This heat treatment occurs at approximately 840-850ºC in a porcelain furnace. This process gives the definitive restoration a fine-grain glass ceramic with 70% crystal volume incorporated in a glass matrix. IPS e.max Press The IPS e.max Press material is produced similarly to the IPS e.max CAD as far as the formation of the initial glass ingots, as they are composed of different powders
that are melted and cooled to room temperature to produce glass ingots. Following the glass formation, the ingots are then nucleated and crystallized in one heat treatment to produce the final ingots (Figure 3). These ingots are then pressed at approximately 920ºC for 5-15 minutes to form a 70% crystalline lithium disilicate restoration.
B. Microstructure IPS e.max CAD During processing, the IPS e.max CAD material has two crystal types and two microstructures that provide its unique properties during each phase of its use. The intermediate lithium meta-silicate crystal structure, Li2SiO3, allows the material to be easily milled without excessive bur wear. It is strong enough to be milled and has high tolerances and marginal integrity. In this state, the material will have a deeper blue when the final restoration has more chroma (Figure 4). The glass ceramic in the “blue” stage contains approximately 40% volume lithium meta-silicate crystals with an approximate crystal size of 0.5 μm as shown in Figure 5.