Smiles By Design: Success with Zirconia

The synergy between a dental practice and a dental lab is one of the most important factors in ensuring a case will have a successful outcome.

This relationship is significant in guaranteeing patient overall satisfaction. It is very well known that dental practices grow as a result of patient referrals and online reviews. So perfecting the patient experience throughout a restorative process is crucial to ensuring the patient will provide favorable feedback.

Providing exceptional laboratory support is one of the primary goals of Burbank Dental Lab, which led to the creation of the Smiles By Design Team.

The Smiles By Design Team

The Smiles by Design Team helps to provide a well-planned case that incorporates using the best materials as well as the latest technology to create a perfect patient experience. With this support, the patient will experience a flawless journey within the practice and ultimately become a great marketing asset for the practice.

The Smile By Design Team at Burbank Dental Lab is made up of highly trained technicians that have completed hundreds of hours of advanced training. This advanced training includes live patient over-the-shoulder programs, training at the Las Vegas Institute, and courses at the Spears Institute, as well as others.

A Systematic Approach

The Smiles by Design Team provides a systematic approach that takes the case from diagnosis and treatment planning to the final delivery.

Through proper case planning, each restorative case is designed to incorporate the patient’s desired end result as well as the necessary functional aspects needed to ensure the functionality and longevity of the restorations.

Each case that goes through the Smiles by Design process will begin with the following steps:

This type of planning between the dentist and the lab takes all of the guesswork out of the final restorations.

Now the fabrication process can begin.

The Smiles by Design Team will then implement quality control standards at each phase of the fabrication process.

Restorations will be evaluated to make sure the margins, fit, contours, shade, and overall plan have been followed.

Case Study

The Smiles by Design Team recently had the pleasure of working with Dr. Karen Tran on a 9-unit restorative case.

The patient was seeking a restorative solution for her missing anterior teeth.

These types of challenging cases are rewarding to work on as they offer the patient a huge improvement in aesthetics as well as function and are often life-changing.

This case was started utilizing study models and Dr. Tran’s initial prescription. It was mounted and evaluated to note any functional or occlusal clearance issues that might impact it. Dr. Tran was called and consulted to ensure a clear understanding of the case’s objectives.

A diagnostic wax-up was then fabricated, incorporating all of the necessary information to ensure patient satisfaction and overall oral health.

A putty stent was fabricated from the wax-up so that Dr. Tran could use it for temporization. The patient was able to wear the temporaries for several days and provide feedback as to their overall satisfaction with the design.

Once the temporaries were approved, the final restoration fabrication process began.

It was determined that this case would be restored with zirconia crowns on teeth #12 and #4 and a zirconia bridge from #5 to #11.

Before

Zirconia was chosen because of its superior aesthetics, strength, durability, as well as an excellent fit. We feel especially confident in our zirconia restorations because we use the Burbank Dental Lab proprietary ZIRMAX zirconia blocks.

ZIRMAX Zirconia

The ZIRMAX brand has a flexural strength of over 1000 Mpa making it one of the most durable zirconia options in the dental industry. This will provide the patient with long-lasting restorations that will resist fracture. It is an excellent option for single-unit crowns as well as long-span bridges. This case was fabricated using ZIRMAX layered zirconia to achieve a natural-looking strong restoration.

The incisal edge position of the approved temporaries was followed when fabricating the bridge. The shade selected was the Vita 3D shade 1M. The case was successfully tried and ready for cementation.

After Retracted

When cementing zirconia crowns, it is essential to remove any excess cement to decrease the chance of tooth sensitivity. Use non-cutting finishing burs to finish the margins. To make any adjustments, use only diamond burs specifically made to adjust zirconia. It is extremely important that no heat is created while adjusting zirconia. Doing so can cause micro-fractures that can directly impact the overall longevity and strength of the restorations.

Zirconia has become one of the most widely prescribed restorative materials. Its strength is unmatched in the dental field, and it was an excellent choice in giving this patient a smile that will last for years to come.

The Burbank Dental Lab ZIRMAX family of zirconia ensures that a high-end zirconia material is used, offering both strength and aesthetics.

Before

After

Planning

Planning is what creates a successful restorative case. Therefore, it is crucial to start with the end goal in mind and clearly understand the patient’s expectations.

The Smile By Design Team at Burbank Dental Lab understands the process of working on a large, complex case. Their experience makes the process effortless and predictable.

Call or chat with a Burbank Dental Lab team member today to start your next case.

Special Thanks

Burbank Dental Lab would like to thank Dr. Karen Tran of Lake View Dental for allowing us to work on this case with her.