Ivoclar Vivadent and Wieland offer new options for rapid digital manufacturing

Dentists in Australia and New Zealand will have greater access to high quality, digitally designed and manufactured restorations following the launch by Ivoclar Vivadent of the complete range of Wieland digital manufacturing solutions to local dental laboratories.

Ivoclar Vivadent acquired Wieland late last year and combined, the suite of products on offer will give dental laboratories a complete in-house digital manufacturing solution for materials like IPS e.max; IPS Empress; and Zenostar coloured translucent zirconia.

"For the past few years, we've seen dentistry continue to evolve down a digital pathway," said Stewart Forman, Market Development Manager at Ivoclar Vivadent Australia. "As the uptake of technologies like intraoral scanning continue in the clinic, dental laboratories similarly need to evolve to maximise the benefits of digital workflows in terms of quality, precision, aesthetics and rapid turnaround times.

"The solution now available to dental laboratories through Ivoclar Vivadent and Wieland will allow a dentist to capture a digital impression in their surgery on any open intraoral scanning system they choose and then transmit it electronically to their technician for design and manufacture.

"We've been seeing bits and pieces of this technology rapidly evolve for the past decade, however, all of a sudden, all the parts have come together to form a very smooth and efficient solution that ticks all the boxes.

"The hardware is right, the software is right and the range and choices of materials are outstanding. In a word, CAD/CAM has finally come of age."

Mr Forman said that whereas most dentists were very familiar with Ivoclar Vivadent's IPS e.max lithium disilicate and IPS Empress leucite-glass ceramics, they would similarly be impressed with the new materials from the Wieland range.

"Wieland's Zenostar - Two in One concept is a very unique product for dentists who love the strength of zirconia," he said. "Rather than just white, Zenostar - Two in One is a coloured translucent zirconia available in base shades of pure, light, medium, intense, sun and sun chroma (Figure 1). From these six base shades, all 16 classical VITA™shades and 26 VITA 3D-Master® shades can be created for the utmost in aesthetics for full contour crowns, bridges and other restorations."

Apart from ceramics, other materials including non-precious, composite, hybrid materials, PMMA, wax and polyurethane can all be digitally manufactured using materials supplied by Ivoclar Vivadent and Wieland, or sourced by the laboratory from third parties as disks or individual blocks.

Mr Forman said that there has already been a great deal of interest from dental laboratories in the new range of digital production solutions they are offering.

"The new Zenotec Select mill could not have come along at a better time for laboratories in Australia and New Zealand," he said. "CAD/CAM production is now a cost-effective option for mid-sized laboratories and the results are outstanding. The materials technology in unison with a technician's eye for detail and aesthetics has the potential to herald a revolution in the laboratory industry that will claw back work that is being produced offshore by offering dentists better quality and better service at a comparable price.

"We are looking forward to showing both clinicians and technicians exactly what CAD/CAM can now achieve and helping both parties take full advantage of the digital dentistry revolution."

NB: VITA, the VITA Classical Shade Guide and VITA 3D-Master Shade Guide are products and trademarks of VITA Zahnfabrik H. Rauter GmbH & Co. KG.