“Digitally Oriented Materials”: Focus on Lithium Disilicate Ceramics

Abstract

The present paper was aimed at reporting the state of the art about lithium disilicate ceramics. The physical, mechanical, and optical properties of this material were reviewed as well as the manufacturing processes, the results of in vitro and in vivo investigations related to survival and success rates over time, and hints for the clinical indications in the light of the latest literature data. Due to excellent optical properties, high mechanical resistance, restorative versatility, and different manufacturing techniques, lithium disilicate can be considered to date one of the most promising dental materials in Digital Dentistry.

Fracture Resistance and Retention of Metal-Free Inlay Retained Fixed Partial Dentures

“…Due to its intrinsic brittle behavior, lithium disilicate ceramics suffer from fatigue failure during load application (10) . That is why the predominant failure mode recorded in IPS e.max IRFPDs was Type 1 (i.e.…”

“…Nowadays, monolithic lithium disilicate is considered the material of choice selected by many clinicians for construction of many types of restorations even IRFPDs in the posterior sites provided that appropriate case selection, favorable occlusion and short span length is guranteed (10) . The popular widespread diffusion in the daily practice of monolithic lithium disilicate restorations is a result of three main reasons.…”

“…The first; the possibility of manufacturing low thickness restorations adhesively bonded to the dental substrate (i.e. achieve the minimally invasive approach with excellent adhesion properties and excellent esthetics) (10) . The second; being a monolithic restoration, there is a reduction in technical complications like chippings and fractures frequently reported in posterior areas (11)(12)(13) .…”

“…Considering that 10-year survival rates of 87.0 to 89.2% have been reported for the metal-ceramic FPDs by some systematic reviews (13,22) , Kern et al (11) stated that the monolithic lithium disilicate can be regarded as a promising candidate to replace metal-ceramics for short span freestanding bridges. Their mechanical performance is multifactorial, strongly related to shape of the microstructure and size and radius of the connectors among other factors (10,11) .…”

In Vitro Analysis of the Fracture Resistance of Cad-Cam Cerasmart Molar Crowns with Different Occlusal Thickness

“…The use of monolithic metal-free crowns presented both mechanical and biological advantages: the absence of veneering porcelain eliminates the risk of ceramic chipping and the prosthetic room reduction due to the absence of metal framework and opaque layer allows for tooth tissues preservation. Moreover, metal-free restorations offer a more natural tooth-like appearance, resulting in astounding esthetics and optimal translucency [6,7]. On the basis of minimal intervention dentistry, the preservation of tooth structures is crucial and produced a significant change in preparation designs that have become more and more conservative particularly in posterior regions, taking advantage of adhesive cementation techniques [2,8,9].…”