CZR FC Paste Stain Basic Kit 1 kit8 bottles1 ES Liquid/10ml1 CZR FC Paste Stain Color Guide (27 colors) - + Add to Cart
CERABIEN ZR FC Paste Stain Kit 1 kit27 bottles1 ES Liquid/10ml1 CZR FC Paste Stain Color Guide (27 colors) - + Add to Cart
Individualisation of monolithic zirconia restorations Article by Dr. Florian Zwiener Modern multi-layered zirconia such as KATANA™ Zirconia STML (Kuraray Noritake Dental Inc.) already meets high aesthetic demands due to its natural colour gradient and high translucency. To achieve further characterisation and optical adjustment to the adjacent teeth, there are essentially two options: veneering with feldspathic ceramic or glazing and individualisation with ceramic stains. While there are still many indications for veneering, especially in the anterior area, more and more cases can now be solved with monolithic restorations. This allows for a time-efficient chairside workflow with same-day treatment, eliminating the need for temporary restorations. Additionally, the absence of a porcelain layer reduces the wall thickness of the restoration and thus the space required, allowing for less invasive preparation. This also reduces the risk of endodontic complications induced by tooth preparation (grinding trauma). Another advantage is a significant reduction in the chipping risk. Below are the essential steps for individualisation using ceramic stains, demonstrated through the example of a molar crown. PREPARATION The restoration is designed in full contour as usual, ideally dry-milled, and then sintered. After sintering, the restoration is first sandblasted (aluminium oxide 50 μm, 1 to 1.5 bar pressure). This microscopic roughening of the ceramic surface enables an optimal bond with the glaze. Subsequently, the restoration should be cleaned using a steam cleaner or an ultrasonic cleaner to remove all blasting residue. The functional restoration surfaces must then be polished to avoid the risk of excessive abrasion on the enamel of the opposing dentition, as zirconia is harder than enamel. Following this, optional glazing and characterization with ceramic stains can be performed. However, for areas not in the aesthetic zone, such as the palatal surfaces of maxillary anterior teeth, this is not necessarily required. PREPARATION: STEPS AT A GLANCE Sandblasting of the sintered restoration (Al2O3 50 μm, 1-1.5 bar) Cleaning (steam cleaner or ultrasonic cleaner) Polishing the occlusal/palatal contact areas Fig. 1. Sintered and sandblasted zirconia crown. Fig. 2. Occlusal high-gloss polish. Fig. 3. TWIST™ DIA for Zirconia (Kuraray Noritake Dental Inc.) enables efficient polishing of zirconia in three steps. STAINING AND GLAZING The shades A+, B+, C+, and D+ of the paste-like ceramic stain CERABIEN™ ZR FC Paste Stain (Kuraray Noritake Dental Inc.) enhance the chroma in the cervical area when applied in the respective tooth shade. They are used to strengthen the multicolour effect of the zirconia or to darken the restoration overall. By mixing the stains with glaze or clear glaze in different ratios, the intensity can be adjusted. Cervical 1 and 2 are suitable for replicating exposed cervical areas or discolouration. Cervical 1 is also useful for marking fissures, as it gives the crown depth and structure without appearing overly dark. Patients typically reject excessively pronounced fissure effects. Since fissure areas in multi-layered materials generally lie in the lightest part of the block (in the enamel layer), it may make sense to darken them slightly with A+, while white hypermineralisations can be replicated on the cusp tips. A narrow band of Grayish Blue below the cusp tips creates an optical translucency effect. In cases where this translucency appears too dark blue or greyish, mixing Grayish Blue with Dark Grey can modify the appearance. By mixing various colours, numerous different tones can be created. For instance, by adding Yellow to A+, its slightly brownish colour can be adjusted to a warmer, more yellowish tooth shade. It is generally advisable to capture the patient‘s tooth shade with a photo and a custom-made colour ring of the corresponding material before preparation. This can serve as a reference during production, especially in the laboratory, where lighting conditions may differ. For pronounced characterisations or fine details, it may be necessary to carry out multiple firings to avoid unwanted running effects between the colours and the glaze. This is particularly recommended when replicating anatomical details with high sharpness, such as enamel cracks or local discolourations. For this, a glaze and base shade are first applied and fired, and finer structures are added in a second firing. Alternatively, a fixative firing of the stains without glaze can be performed first, with only a glaze layer fired in the second step. A benefit of CERABIEN™ ZR FC Paste Stain is that its appearance during application closely matches the final firing result. In thick consistency, glaze can also be used to easily rebuild missing proximal contacts. STAINING AND GLAZING: STEPS AT A GLANCE Glaze with Glaze/Clear Glaze Increase chroma (in the cervical area or over large areas) with A+, B+, C+, or D+- Adjust intensity by mixing with Glaze/Clear Glaze- Create a warmer tone by mixing with Yellow Replicate discolouration/exposed cervical areas: Cervical 1 and 2 Customise fissure areas- Darken with A+, B+, C+, or D+- Accentuate fissures with Cervical 1 Customise cusp tips- Replicate hypermineralisations with White- Create a band below with Grayish Blue (translucency effect)- Adjust translucency effect below cusp tips by mixing with Dark Grey Firing Alternatives: First firing: Glaze plus base shade, second firing: Finer structures First firing: Fixative stain firing without glaze, second firing: Glaze firing Fig. 4. CERABIEN™ ZR FC Paste Stain assortment for the practice laboratory. Fig. 5. Discoloured fissures can be accurately replicated with an ISO10 endodontic file. Fig. 6 and 7. Glazing and staining in one firing. Fig. 8. Shade determination using a custom-made KATANA™ Zirconia STML colour ring (A3.5). Fig. 9. Bridge made from KATANA™ Zirconia STML, sandblasted and occlusally polished. Fig. 10. Finished glazed and characterised restoration. Fig. 11. Bridge 14-16 in place. FINAL SITUATION Fig. 11. Bridge 14-16 in place. Dentist: FLORIAN ZWIENER Dec 10, 2024
Micro-layering: a new era in porcelain layering Interview with Mathias Fernandez Y Lombardi INTRODUCING CERABIEN™ MiLai LOW-FUSING PORCELAINS AND INTERNAL STAINS Highly aesthetic lithium disilicate or zirconia-based framework materials combined with a micro-layer of porcelain are becoming the new standard for producing lifelike all-ceramic restorations. For those wondering why it’s worth adopting the new technique, how to start, how to improve and which materials to use, we had a conversation with a true expert in all things ceramic: Mathias Fernandez Y Lombardi, Head of Technical Marketing – Europe at Kuraray Europe GmbH. Mathias Fernandez Y Lombardi, do you believe in micro-layering as a technique that is capable of streamlining procedures in the dental laboratory while fulfilling high aesthetic demands? Yes, I truly believe that micro-layering is the next step in the evolution of indirect restorative techniques and materials. This evolution is driven by improvements in the area of framework materials, which are becoming more and more tooth-like in their appearance. We have moved from metal to opaque, high-strength zirconia and – more recently - high-translucency multi-layered zirconia and lithium disilicate, which no longer require thick porcelain layers to achieve lifelike outcomes. In this context, it’s only natural that a new technique has emerged. Kuraray Noritake Dental Inc. is well-known as a pioneer in multi-layered zirconia technology and veneering porcelains. Are there any products particularly suitable or specifically developed for micro-layering? We offer a series of high-translucency, multi-layered zirconia perfectly suited for micro-layering on the one hand and an aligned portfolio of internal stains and porcelains specifically developed for micro-layering on the other. The zirconia portfolio includes three different blank types with a multi-layered colour structure (KATANA™ Zirconia UTML, STML and HTML Plus), one variant with flexural strength, translucency and colour gradation (KATANA™ Zirconia YML), but also the timeless classic HT for the frameworks should be mentioned. While the first three offer a uniform strength and are chosen based on the indication, KATANA™ Zirconia YML with its multi-layered strength is a universal material suitable for an extremely wide range of applications. The set of internal stains and porcelains specifically designed for the micro-layering technique that we just introduced is CERABIEN™ MiLai. With this addition to the CERABIEN™ family, we offer a perfect complement to the KATANA™ Zirconia Multi-Layered series, and with it, a revolutionary workflow that significantly deviates from traditional methods, enabling us to deliver greater efficiency, cost savings, and more flexibility. However, CERABIEN™ MiLai is not only compatible with KATANA™ Zirconia, but also with aesthetic zirconia from other manufacturers and reinforced silicate ceramics such as lithium disilicate with a CTE value within 9.5-11.0×10-6/K (50 °C – 500 °C). Fig. 1. Overview of CERABIEN™ MiLai Low-Fusing Porcelains. Fig. 2. Overview of CERABIEN™ MiLai Internal Stains. Why should a dental technician start using the micro-layering technique and invest in a new set of porcelains for this purpose? The reasons to start micro-layering are obvious: depending on the design, micro-layering can eliminate or minimize the chipping risk. Moreover, the technique is highly efficient, as the number of layers and bakes is drastically reduced. This results in a reduced thickness of the restoration facilitating minimally invasive preparations and a less complex layering procedure that even beginners are able to learn and implement very quickly. A new set of porcelains specifically developed for micro-layering like CERABIEN™ MiLai can further support the feasibility of the technique and the quality of the outcomes achieved even by beginners. Due to the shortage of skilled workers in dental laboratories, this aspect is becoming increasingly important. How does CERABIEN™ MiLai support users in achieving aesthetic, high-quality outcomes right from the start? With traditional porcelain systems, it can be challenging to create all the desired individual shade effects in a layer of only 0.03 mm to 0.6 mm thickness. With CERABIEN™ MiLai, this isn’t the case as the system is specifically designed for this purpose. The saturation and translucency of the porcelains are matched to the framework materials and adjusted to the volume of the porcelain layer. The compact line-up makes it quite easy to select and combine the right shades for satisfying results right from the start. More experienced users can mix the different components for additional effects, so that there are no limits to their creativity. Images courtesy of MDT Daniele Rondoni. Fig. 3. Virtually unlimited design options: crown with a full micro cut-back, crown with a vestibular cut-back and monolithic restoration. Furthermore, the versatility of CERABIEN™ MiLai is a key feature that results in great outcomes. The system can be used on lithium disilicate and zirconia, a monolithic surface, a vestibular cut-back or a full micro cut-back. With this broad application spectrum, dental technicians are likely to use CERABIEN™ MiLai daily, which allows them to develop a true understanding of the components and to establish work routines very quickly. As a consequence, the outcomes become predictable and controllable. This is further supported by consistent handling and optical properties – all the result of a single core technology. Please tell us more about this technology. The core technology used in CERABIEN™ MiLai is synthetic feldspathic ceramic technology. Originally developed for Super Porcelain EX-3 and adjusted to the specific needs of CERABIEN™ ZR in the first step and CERABIEN™ MiLai more recently, this technology is responsible for consistent properties. This is because the formulation never needs to be aligned due to changing natural components. However, I believe that the greatest benefit of using feldspathic porcelain lies in the elimination of shadow effects. Everyone familiar with layering natural feldspathic porcelains on ceramics will know the typical greyish shadows appearing in restorations after several firing cycles. They originate from inhomogeneities in the material caused by micro-movements during firing. Showing no movements in this phase, synthetic felspathic porcelains from Kuraray Noritake Dental Inc. are the first and only porcelains preventing this effect. Finally, the further developed version of the technology allowed us to realize a low firing temperature of just 740 °C while maintaining the desired coefficient of thermal expansion. This is essential for the material’s compatibility with lithium disilicate. Are there any other benefits arising from the low firing temperature? The low firing temperature definitely offers an economic benefit, as the process consumes less energy and takes less time compared to high-temperature firing cycles. Moreover, the wear of the furnace is reduced. Finally, the low temperature is of interest for users of CERABIEN™ ZR in specific indications: Some ceramists like to combine the systems especially in cases with artificial gingiva. They create the porcelain work on the teeth with CERABIEN™ ZR first and then individualize the gingival area with CERABIEN™ MiLai. Due to the low firing temperature, the form, colour and surface of the previously applied veneering porcelain will remain stable. Image courtesy of MDT Ioulianos Moustakis. Fig. 4. Application of CERABIEN™ MiLai Tissue Porcelains on a complex restoration with the teeth already finalized. Image courtesy of MDT Ioulianos Moustakis. Fig. 5. Application of CERABIEN™ MiLai Internal Stains on a zirconia bridge. Do you have any application technique recommendations for CERABIEN™ MiLai? The best aesthetic outcomes are obtained by using the internal stain technique. By applying the stains first, it is possible to create natural depth effects despite the minimal thickness of the porcelain layer. The stains are easy to use and the outcomes are impressive. The micro-layer of porcelain applied on top acts like a window imitating the enamel, which contributes to a tooth-like appearance. Due to the compact line-up and easily manageable effects, this technique is even suitable for beginners. Is the procedure different depending on the base material (lithium disilicate versus zirconia)? Most of the steps are identical. However, surface conditioning may be different depending on the material used (as described in the material manufacturer’s instructions for use). Moreover, Value Liner 1 or Value Liner 2 is typically used on lithium disilicate for wash baking, whereas Translucent or Luster are recommended for this step on zirconia. When space is limited, internal stains may be applied directly. All following steps – the optional but highly recommended application of internal stains, the building-up of Translucent or Luster and baking, morphological corrections, the glaze bake and finishing – are identical. What are the options for glazing? CERABIEN™ MiLai porcelains offer a self-glaze effect obtained by fine-polishing (with PEARL Surface C) followed by glaze baking. This leads to a natural gloss, while maintaining the anatomical details. Alternatively, CERABIEN™ ZR FC Paste Stain Glaze or Clear Glaze can be applied and fixed by baking. These liquid ceramics allow users to add some structural details, while the surface appears glossier. However, the procedure is more time-consuming due to the additional application step. Do you have any recommendations regarding the indication-specific selection of the framework or base material? Traditionally, lithium disilicate has been the material of choice for aesthetic single anterior restorations, while zirconia was predominantly used for multi-unit restorations and restorations in the posterior area. With the availability of KATANA™ Zirconia STML / UTML and CERABIEN™ MiLai, zirconia is becoming increasingly attractive for the production of minimally invasive veneers, crowns and the like. A thin-walled restoration made of KATANA™ Zirconia, speed-sintered in just a few minutes and combined with a thin layer of CERABIEN™ MiLai, results in an incredibly strong restoration with several aspects that lithium disilicate simply cannot match. The preparation technique for zirconia is much more favourable for dentists - for example marginal adaptation and biocompatibility, especially regarding gingival healing, are superior. Aesthetically, there is no risk of a greyish effect when using zirconia with CERABIEN™ MiLai, while lithium disilicate needs to be treated with Value Liner to prevent this. Additionally, the ease of cementation with PANAVIA™ SA Cement Universal further enhances the quality of the restoration in the fastest possible timeframe, allowing for quick and flexible responses to dentists’ needs. You mentioned speed sintering as a factor contributing to a streamlined workflow. Studies have shown, however, that this step might weaken the mechanical and aesthetic properties of zirconia. Do you recommend speed sintering despite this fact? Indeed, speed sintering does affect the translucency and flexural strength of some zirconia variants. This is probably the reason why dental technicians have been reluctant to change their established practices of sintering overnight – despite the availability of high-speed furnaces. However, KATANA™ Zirconia is an exception: Due to our unique powder formulation, we are able to offer zirconia with a composition that is completely independent from other brands of dental zirconia. With this, we are able to fundamentally change the traditional workflow of an end-user and offer more flexibility, speed and efficiency, resulting in less energy consumption, stress and costs. In a study conducted at the Division of Biomaterials at the University of Alabama at Birmingham1, three different high-translucency zirconia materials including KATANA™ Zirconia Block (KATANA™ Zirconia STML) were sintered according to a traditional and a high-speed sintering schedule. Prior to sintering and afterwards, the three-point bending strength, translucency and grain structure were analysed. The material from Kuraray Noritake Dental Inc. was the only zirconia with properties that remained unaffected after speed sintering. Internal testing confirmed this finding for all variants of the KATANA™ Zirconia Multi-Layered series. As a result, we do recommend speed sintering of our materials, delivering true economic and time advantages. With highly potent materials for micro-layering now available, do you think that full ceramic layering is going to be a thing of the past? I am convinced that in the near future the great majority of dental restorations will be produced using aesthetic framework materials and simplified micro-layering techniques. However, full porcelain layering is here to last. There will always be a demand for a few highly-skilled ceramists serving the needs of individuals with the highest aesthetic demands. It is like tailor-made versus off-the-peg suits: the tailor-made ones are the best you can buy, but most people wear off-the-peg ones, which are perfectly adequate in virtually every environment. Thank you very much! Reference 1. Lawson NC, Maharishi A. Strength and translucency of zirconia after high-speed sintering. J Esthet Restor Dent. 2020 Mar;32(2):219-225. doi: 10.1111/jerd.12524. Epub 2019 Sep 13. PMID: 31515932. Mathias Fernandez Y Lombardi EU Scientific ManagerDental Ceramics & CAD/CAM MaterialsKuraray Europe GmbH 2013Successful completion of an apprenticeship as a dental technician at Seuthe dental laboratory in Plettenberg, Germany 2018Successful completion of dental technology studies at the University of Osnabrück, Germany. Graduation as an engineer in dental technology Since March 2018Employee of Kuraray Europe GmbH Mar 18, 2025
CZR FC Paste Stain Basic Kit 1 kit8 bottles1 ES Liquid/10ml1 CZR FC Paste Stain Color Guide (27 colors) - + Add to Cart
CERABIEN ZR FC Paste Stain Kit 1 kit27 bottles1 ES Liquid/10ml1 CZR FC Paste Stain Color Guide (27 colors) - + Add to Cart
