The Artists’ Porcelain
Most modern dental work is carried out using strong modern ceramic materials. Most often the material of choice is zirconia or lithium disilicate ceramic (commonly known by the name of e.max).
Zirconia has excellent structural properties but tends to be quite opaque and can appear false as it tends to block light transmission.
e.max has a very good balance of strength and aesthetics.
However, the master technicians, those that are artists in their field, will always revert to hand-built feldspathic porcelain when true beauty and lifelike appearance are of paramount importance.
This is a receding art because the manufacture of this porcelain requires mastery. Each tooth is individually built up with a powder and liquid with the characterization of the teeth built deep into the ceramic rather than just onto the surface. It is the best material to allow light transmission and perfect blending of the natural warmth of the underlying tooth structure without blocking light. There is no material that is more lifelike or natural.
Many patients are not aware of the availability of this material and are often not informed of its existence because many modern labs do not use it. It is more time consuming and expensive to work with but gives the best results, especially in patients where most of the teeth are intact and require restoration of natural anatomy after extensive wear or previous unsuccessful composite resin bonding that has deteriorated over time.
Dr Fabio Perez trained for his aesthetic dental expertise in New York and knows this material. Together with his technician, he can ultimately create bespoke, restorations with incredible vitality for our patients who seek to improve their smiles. Smiles that can fill them with confidence and power. Smiles that can change their personal and professional lives. There is little else in somebody’s face that could be altered more impactfully than a smile and feldspathic porcelain plays a powerful role in creating the smile you deserve.
London has many demanding clients that may be suitable for feldspathic porcelain to be used. However, the public needs to be educated in its existence and availability for selected cases to achieve the best possible aesthetic result.
Why is feldspathic porcelain not used frequently (we estimate under 1% of current dental work is feldspathic)? This is because it is costly and time consuming for a clinician and technician to get to know the material inside-out; it is costly to teach someone how to work with feldspathic porcelain; it is costly to produce restorations of such a high-end value and quality level; it is costly for the technician who creates the piece of work to manufacture it; it is costly to carry out the clinical planning, preparation, impression taking and final bonding of these restorations which are often very thin and translucent and require expert handling.
But ultimately, there is no other dental material like it.
For a detailed and in depth consultation and more information, please come and see Dr Fabio Perez at LCIAD.
