Daniel Wilson This isn't a novel post but for some of the new CEREC users, I thought I would share some bread and butter dentistry. I would rarely do crownlays during the BC (Before CEREC) days. As we all know the biggest challenge was provisionalization and you as the clinician had to be knowledgeable enough about materials to explain to the lab technician about material selection, color and translucency so you could get the results you desired.
Now with CEREC, there are a number of different materials at our disposal and no worries about provisionals. For this case, I had plenty of enamel to bond to and enough clearance so I could have used just about anything in this case. Typically my go-to for crownlays is IPS e.max HT (high translucency). I've used MT with success but I find blending the margins is a bit easier with HT.
Another thing I really try to focus on with these cases is smooth flowing margins. Unlike the days of gold inlays and onlays where sharp internal line angles and boxes were the norm, resistance and retention form are not my primary concern. With proper bonding, these do not come off.
For this case, I intentionally choose A2 HT because the cusp tips of the premolars where brighter. I selectively etched the enamel with 35% phosphoric acid, scrubbed the tooth with Adhese Universal for 20 seconds and bonded with Ivoclar Vivadent Variolink Esthetic Warm Plus.
Nothing earth shattering, but these are the types of cases where efficiency and predicatability are paramount for us each day.
