REPORT EXCERPT: Ninety-eight percent of BruxZir Solid Zirconia Crowns and Bridges restorations manufactured by Glidewell Dental Laboratories received a 5 or excellent rating at 18-month recall. All of the single crowns and all of the three- and four-unit bridges had no evidence of fracture or chipping. One of two five-unit bridges failed shortly after cementation and was replaced. Over the 18-month period, BruxZir has proven to be an excellent restoration with respect to esthetics, resistance to fracture/chipping, resistance to marginal discoloration, wear resistance, and retention. BruxZir received a clinical rating of 98%.
 
SOURCE: The DENTAL ADVISOR. Since 1984, THE DENTAL ADVISOR has provided dental professionals worldwide with concise, accurate, and objective information using in-vivo and in-vitro results on the performance of products and equipment based on clinical and laboratory research. For the full report, click here.

For more information about BruxZir, visit www.bruxzir.com, or click to view BruxZir Solid Zirconia Clinical & Scientific Documentation.

Glidewell Laboratories, industry-leading provider of dental laboratory products and services, announced today the release of BruxZir™ Shaded Milling Blanks for the milling of authentic BruxZir Solid Zirconia crowns & bridges. These pre-shaded milling blanks feature homogenous shading throughout the entire zirconia blank, providing dental labs with improved shade consistency, while saving them time and money.

Dental laboratories will now be able to produce BruxZir crowns & bridges with increased efficiency and lowered costs because they will no longer have to invest in coloring liquids or the labor required for the coloring process. BruxZir restorations milled from these pre-shaded blocks just need to be sintered before being finished using simple staining and glazing techniques. Compared to zirconia restorations that have been colored using the dipping technique, the BruxZir Shaded Milling Blank formulation provides total color penetration throughout the entire milling block, eliminating the possibility of white "show-through" after adjustment.

According to Robin Carden, vice president of research and development at Glidewell, the new BruxZir Shaded material also shows an increase in translucency. "Our team of chemists have worked very hard on this innovation," says Carden, "and have added a group of shading agents that work well with our patent-pending colloidal process. These proprietary shading agents do not leave any organic binders, such as carbon impurities, in the grain boundaries, so we are left with a very clean material that transmits the warm colors of the mouth through the BruxZir zirconia better than the dipped variety." Carden explains that when a full-contour zirconia restoration achieves translucency in the high color wavelength range (500-850 nanometers), or what is called the "warm color region," it makes a disappearing act in the mouth.

BruxZir Shaded Milling Blanks come in four base shades (100, 200, 300, 400) that can be stained to provide a lifelike match to all 16 shades in Vident’s VITA Classical Shade Guide range. Blank 100 provides base shades for A1, B1 and C1 VITA Classical shades; blank 200 provides base shades for A2, A3 and B2 VITA Classical shades; blank 300 provides base shades for A3.5, B3, C2, D2, D3 and D4 shades; and blank 400 provides base shades for A4, B4, C3 and C4 VITA Classical shades. Nearly 50 percent of all BruxZir restorations produced at Glidewell are made from the blank 200 shade group.

Like the original BruxZir Milling Blanks, BruxZir Shaded Milling Blanks are 98 mm in diameter and are available in 12 mm, 15 mm, 20 mm and 25 mm thicknesses. They can be used in many popular milling systems, including Glidewell’s BruxZir™ Milling System and milling units from Intelitek, Haas, VHF, Wieland Dental, Röders, Digital Dental Lab, imes-icore and B&D Dental Technologies.

For BruxZir Shaded Milling Blank pricing, more information or to place an order, call Glidewell Direct at 888-303-3975. To learn more about the BruxZir Authorized Lab program, visit www.bruxzir.com.

Glidewell Laboratories is a privately owned corporation that has more than 42 years of history as a provider of high-quality services and products to dental laboratories nationwide. It has its own R&D and manufacturing teams comprising 161 experienced professionals focused on Inclusive Dental Implant Solutions and BruxZir Solid Zirconia and is one of the most resourceful dental laboratories in the world. Its newly developed CAD/CAM processing capabilities are recognized as among the most advanced in the industry. To view our large selection of products and services, visit the Glidewell Laboratories website, www.glidewelldental.com.

When lecturing on new monolithic restorations such as BruxZir® Solid Zirconia and IPS e.max®, the most common question I receive is in regard to the best way to cement or bond these restorations. Using a product most dentists aren't aware of comes with a specific protocol, so I decided to put together this presentation to clear up any confusion: Updated BruxZir® Cleaning, Cementing & Bonding Protocol video.

– Michael C. DiTolla, DDS, FAGD

Download Instructions for Adjusting and Polishing BruxZir Crowns & Bridges.

Download Instructions for Seating BruxZir® and Other Zirconia-Based Crowns & Bridges.

For more information regarding BruxZir Technical Updates, visit www.bruxzir.com.

REPORT EXCERPT: BruxZir (Glidewell Laboratories) and milled e.maxCAD (Ivoclar Vivadent) attracted attention of TRAC Research scientists because they are the first of over 100 posterior tooth-colored restoratives tested here clinically over the past 35 years that showed NO cracks, chips, breaks, wear, or staining after their first year of service.

Practice-based controlled clinical tests of tooth-colored restoratives began in this lab in 1976, when the demise of metal in dentistry began to be discussed seriously. The goal was to identify the most promising alternatives. The same test protocol has been used throughout, allowing comparative analyses as restorations age in service. At one year, BruxZir and milled e.maxCAD show superior performance.
 
SOURCE: An independent, non-profit, dental education and product testing foundation, Clinicians Report®, June, 2012. For the full report, click here.

To view a list of Authorized BruxZir laboratories, please visit www.bruxzir.com.

"Doctors consistently tell us that the margins on their BruxZir crowns & bridges feel better to their explorer than the ones on the PFMs they used to prescribe. A closer look at the tooth-restoration interface and emergence profile shows why."

— Michael C. DiTolla, DDS, FAGD

 

On an ideal PFM prep there is enough reduction in the gingival third for the thickness of a PFM. We need room for the metal coping, the opaque layer and the porcelain, which is about 1 mm thick. If a dentist gives us the ideal 1 mm of reduction at the margin, the crown can have an acceptable emergence profile.

This drawing represents the typical PFM prep we receive with a conservative feather-edge margin. When a PFM is fabricated for this prep there is a bulky 1 mm margin on the PFM that catches on the explorer. Even if the margin is sealed, the emergence profile is unacceptable.

This drawing represents the typical PFM prep we receive with a BruxZir crown in place. Because it is a monolithic crown and can be milled to a feather edge, there is no bulk of material, or "speed bump," at the margin. Dentists tell us their explorer cannot detect where the tooth ends and the BruxZir crown begins.

For more information about BruxZir Solid Zirconia and its benefits, please visit www.bruxzir.com.

When we launched BruxZir Solid Zirconia crowns & bridges in 2009, our intention was to provide a monolithic zirconia restoration indicated for bruxers and grinders as an esthetic alternative to posterior metal occlusal PFMs and full-cast metal restorations. The result was a material we said was "More Brawn than Beauty."

Glidewell Laboratories, industry-leading provider of dental lab products and services, announced today the release of its BruxZir Milling System for the milling of authentic BruxZir® Solid Zirconia. The purpose-built, compact BruxZir Mill is custom built at the lab’s California facilities and currently has an approximate order lead time of 10 weeks. Dental laboratories that purchase the BruxZir Milling System will join the growing network of Authorized BruxZir Labs.

The BruxZir Milling System is used to mill crown & bridge restorations or copings and understructures from BruxZir, a monolithic zirconia material with a fracture toughness measured as high as 1450 MPa. Proven production capabilities include output of a single zirconia coping in as little as five minutes, and a full-contour crown in just nine minutes. An open system designed specifically for use with zirconia, it integrates with 3Shape and other popular dental CAD software. The system runs on four axes, with travel range of 150 mm horizontal (x, y) and 75 mm vertical (z). The spindle speed is 50,000 rpm and includes an automatic four-tool changer. Power requirement is 115VAC/15A, and air requirement is 60 PSI. Machine weight is approximately 480 pounds, with outer dimensions of 29"W x 32"D x 72"H.

Purchase of the complete BruxZir Milling System comes with on-site installation and training, as well as production backup via outsource milling support in the event of a service outage. A step-by-step training DVD demonstrating the BruxZir restoration manufacturing process is also included with purchase of the unit.

Dental Laboratories that purchase the BruxZir Milling System will be added to the growing network of Authorized BruxZir Labs. As an Authorized BruxZir Laboratory, the lab gains exposure through national brand marketing of BruxZir. To learn more about BruxZir and to see a full list of Authorized BruxZir Labs, visit www.bruxzir.com. For pricing, more information or to place an order, call Glidewell Direct at 888-303-3975.

With the ever-increasing demand for BruxZir Solid Zirconia, Glidewell Laboratories has continued to devise, test, and implement new processes intended to improve both the quality of these crown & bridge restorations and the efficiency with which they are produced. Often, an innovation in one area provides enhanced results in the other. One such innovation is the new process by which Glidewell technicians clean milled BruxZir restorations and prepare them for coloring.
After Brushing

SEM 5000x

After Ultrasonic

SEM 5000x

Glidewell Laboratories, industry-leading provider of dental lab products and services, announced today its newest green initiative: the recycling of post-milled BruxZir Solid Zirconia Milling Blanks.

The Glidewell Laboratories Research & Development team, using innovative processes, refines quality high-purity yttria-stablized zirconia powder to a significantly reduced grain size, increasing its strength and optical properties. This improved material is then utilized in conjunction with proprietary processes to create monolithic zirconia BruxZir Milling Blanks for the fabrication of virtually chip-proof BruxZir Solid Zirconia crowns, bridges and implant restorations.

While zirconia has many applications in an array of fields, including energy, telecommunications, steel, mining, oil field supply and aerospace, the lab’s reformulation of the material, including advances in nanotechnology, has been recognized as groundbreaking. The strength, high fracture toughness, resistance to thermal shock and translucency of BruxZir Solid Zirconia dental restorations have contributed to its rampant success in the dental profession.

When BruxZir restorations are milled from BruxZir Milling Blanks, not all of the refined zirconia material is utilized. A 98 mm diameter (12 mm thick) blank (300 grams) yields up to 19 single-unit crowns (1.6 grams each). That means only 30 grams worth of BruxZir material is used, or just 10 percent. The lab cannot reuse this material once it has been sintered because the crystallite properties expand exponentially, effectively diminishing its translucent properties.

For the past year, the lab’s senior director of Research & Development Robin Carden has been researching ways to recycle the remaining 90 percent of unused post-milled BruxZir Milling Blank material. “We have been searching for ways to recycle our post-milled BruxZir material since March 2010,” explained Carden. “Because zirconia is wear-resistant and able to withstand high temperatures, this material is ideal for applications such as molten metal nozzles, oil field valves and high temperature insulation.

“By recycling this material, Glidewell Laboratories is reducing its carbon footprint and allowing this material to be repurposed and reused for other applications that involve high temperature, thermal shock, corrosion, and high wear and impact,” Carden added.

Glidewell Laboratories is pleased to launch this recycling program, which will allow other industries to benefit from zirconia’s unique material properties. Additionally, the lab will invite its more than 100 Authorized BruxZir Laboratory partners to participate. For more information about BruxZir Solid Zirconia, please visit http://www.bruxzir.com.

Glidewell Laboratories, based in Newport Beach, Calif., is a privately owned corporation that has more than 40 years of history as a provider of high-quality services and products to dentists and dental laboratories nationwide. It has its own 73-person Research and Development team and is the most resourceful dental laboratory in the world. Its newly developed CAD/CAM processing capabilities are recognized as among the most advanced in the industry. To view our large selection of products and services, visit http://www.glidewelldental.com.