Presenter: Kenneth Malament, DDS

Format: Audio - MP3 File Download $25

INTEGRATION OF ESTHETIC DENTISTRY AND PROSTHODONTICS Dentistry that is esthetic to the patient is an important clinical objective. The knowledge within dental technology, dental science, and dental practice has dramatically expanded leading to better quality; artistry and more standards based clinical applications. Ceramics are the most consistently predictable esthetic dental material. Today dentists can offer more treatment options for patient?s complex problems. Metal-ceramics continue to be the ?state of the art? and profoundly affect prosthodontic care but the single phase or monolithic all-ceramic materials have become increasingly more popular and do not chip as do all bi-layered ceramic materials. The lithium disilicate and zirconia single unit has replaced all materials for single unit full coverage restorations and the lithium disilicate has replaced many conditions where gold would have been the choice for the partial coverage restoration. These types of dental ceramic materials will dominate the market and future development brings with it more long-term success.? Understanding methods to manage simple and complex restorative issues are critical to improving patient acceptance and even long term ceramic success. ?Methods to integrate the efforts of laboratory technologists and managing occlusion and patient?s desires can have a profound impact in the practice of dentistry. All-ceramic materials were developed to improve ceramic color and marginal fit. ?Until recently few research reports attempted to study their long term use or factors that relate to their performance without modeling the data. Previous bi-layered all-ceramic crowns on molars have reached their full potential. ?This course will provide a comprehensive look at ?failure modes and effects in bilayer all-ceramic crown-cement-tooth systems, tying together the influences on resistance to fracture initiation, and propagation of ceramic material properties and thickness, crown/tooth geometry, cement modulus and layer thickness, damage induced by shaping, fabrication, clinical adjustments, and sandblasting, and fatigue in the wet intraoral environment. Original research will be presented that studied the clinical behavior of well over seven thousand five hundered all-ceramic restorations. Life history and fracture rates were studied over twenty years in relationship to factors that might affect success. Factors such as tooth position, preparation, luting procedures, and gender are significant to long term ceramic success.