Obsidian lithium silicate ceramic

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Obsidian lithium silicate ceramic

Obsidian lithium silicate ceramic is a state-of-the-art restorative material that can be used for ceramic fused to metal, all-ceramic and chairside-milled cases. According to the company, this versatility enables clinicians to prescribe a single material for virtually any indication in the mouth. A simplified workflow can ensue because using Obsidian can facilitate a cohesive appearance across the arch, even when the oral situation demands multiple types of restorations.

According to Glidewell, Obsidian offers more than four times the flexural strength and twice the chip resistance as traditional feldspathic porcelain. Furthermore, the translucency and esthetics of the material match those of dentition, making Obsidian the optimal combination of utility and beauty, the company asserts.

The latest release in the product line, Obsidian Pressed to Metal, provides a PFM-like restoration for today’s clinician.

Rather than fusing feldspathic porcelain to cast metal, Obsidian lithium silicate ceramic is pressed to laser-sintered understructures to form modernized ceramo-metal restorations. Each case is designed digitally and fabricated through unique computer-controlled processes, for precise restorations. The understructures are made through a method in which a programmable laser beam strikes metal powder to build the desired shape, layer by layer. The anatomy is formed by heat-pressing lithium silicate ceramic into a 3-D printed mold.

Finished Obsidian Pressed to Metal crowns and bridges can achieve far greater strength than their conventional PFM predecessors. According to the company, these natural-looking, chip-resistant restorations are ideal for covering dark preps and endodontic posts. Indications include crowns and bridges anywhere in the arch, and screw-retained and cemented implant restorations.

Obsidian All-Ceramic restorations are made from the same lithium silicate ceramic used for the pressed to metal restorations, meaning that monolithic and ceramo-metal prostheses can be placed adjacent to one another with successful results.

According to the company, these all-ceramic restorations mirror the vitality and translucency of natural dentition, and are indicated for individual anterior and posterior crowns, veneers, inlays, onlays and three-unit anterior bridges.

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