Markus Blatz: Demystifying zirconia, understanding the material and its handling.

Unique physical, optical, and biologic properties have made zirconia a preferred material for restorative options from single units to full-mouth rehabilitations. For bilayer restorations with zirconia as a core and framework material, proper selection and application of the respective veneering porcelains are key for success. Over the last years, monolithic full-contour zirconia (FCZ) restorations that do not require hand-layered veneering porcelain have gained tremendous popularity. While the manufacturing of these restorations is simplified through CAD/CAM technologies, there are still many laboratory parameters that determine the ultimate outcomes and clinical success of these restorations. Another factor for long-term success relates to the cementation and bonding of zirconia-based restorations, which differ fundamentally from protocols established for metal alloys and other ceramics.

This presentation will give an overview of the material, laboratory, manufacturing, and clinical parameters that determine the success of zirconia-based restorations.

Professor Dr. Markus B. Blatz is Professor and Chair in the Department of Preventive and Restorative Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine and is the Founding Director of their CAD/CAM Ceramic Center. He received his dental degree, doctorate, postgraduate certificate in prosthodontics and a professorship from Freiburg University in Germany. President of the International Academy of Adhesive Dentistry and a member of numerous professional organizations and editorial boards, he is the recipient of multiple teaching and research awards. He has published and lectured extensively on esthetic, implant and restorative dentistry.