Optimising the base colour: “CERABIEN™ ZR” Shade Base line-up extended by five opaque shades

A discoloured abutment tooth, a metal post or tooth-coloured gum areas: It is not always possible to meet the target tooth or gum shade with a pre-shaded zirconia framework. Porcelain layering on a differently coloured base, however, is likely to deliver unexpected outcomes. The “CERABIEN™ ZR” Shade Base line-up has been developed and recently extended by Kuraray Noritake Dental Inc. for those who would like to avoid surprises and provide for a favourable framework colour, right from the start of porcelain layering. The five new opaque shades deliver approximately five times higher opacity than conventional “CERABIEN™ ZR” Shade Base porcelains, and can mask the base colour much more effectively for even more lifelike restorations.

The “CERABIEN™ ZR” Shade Base opaque shade line-up consists of three shades that reproduce tooth colour: Opaque White as a bleaching shade, Opaque Light as an A2 shade, and Opaque Dark as an A3.5 shade. They may be mixed or applied as delivered to the zirconia framework in thin layers to mask severely discoloured or metal areas. In most situations with a severely discoloured base, a precise matching of the target shade is achieved by applying an opaque shade as a first layer and a target-coloured “CERABIEN™ ZR” Shade Base as a second layer.

The other two new opaque shades – “CERABIEN™ ZR” Opaque Light Tissue and Opaque Dark Tissue – are used in a similar way to create a pink-opaque base in the gum areas of tooth-coloured zirconia frameworks (e.g. made of KATANA™ Zirconia Multi-Layered discs), which is perfect for reproducing gingival colour. Applied as a thin coating, the opaque tissue shades neutralise the tooth colour and their moderate reflection improves the colour effect of the subsequently applied tissue porcelains.

With their high masking ability, the new opaque shades make it even easier to adjust zirconia framework colours for highly aesthetic porcelain layering – no matter whether the base colour of a tissue or tooth area needs to be optimized.

• 10 jan. 2023

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