The top 5 new material trends you NEED to know

Pre-shaded zirconia

While zirconia has been a go-to material for labs for quite some time, more and more lab techs are discovering the exciting opportunities offered by pre-shaded zirconia. This minimizes the need for exhaustive staining, and can make finishing the final restoration a snap.

Multilayered PMMA

With the advent of multilayered poly (methyl methacrylate), better known as PMMA, labs can now directly mill temporaries with much better esthetics, providing a longer-term option that makes patients happier while providing both dentists and labs with more flexibility when determining the best approach to a specific case.

Shaded 3D printing material

The march toward directly printing finished teeth continues as more manufacturers begin to experiment with tooth-shaded 3D printing material. Now, a lab can “print” a fully functional temporary that looks much more lifelike than previous 3D printing options were ever able to produce.

Next-gen lithium disilicates

All-ceramic lithium/glass dislicates have been a favorite of labs and dentists for a long while, and each new year brings incredible new developments. Manufacturers are figuring out how to make these options more and more esthetic, while providing excellent strength and durability.

Millable and printable metals-from precious to non-precious

More and more companies are introducing new ways to use metal. There are metal 3D printers that use selective laser sintering/melting to create metal frameworks and removables, and other manufacturers are exploring milling and SLM/SLS options using traditional noble metals like gold.

This article originally appeared in the May 2014 issue of Dental Lab Products. For more great articles about products in action, click her to subscribe to DLP's newsletter: http://bit.ly/13JeDYN