Porcelain Fused-to-Titanium
January 5, 2010
Last week I went over some of the capabilities of our new Origin Pro Duo 5000 milling machine including its ability to mill Titanium. I was excited about the possibilities for the following reasons -
- Titanium is one of the most bio-compatible metals available (proven for implants)
- ADA classified material, Medical Grade 5 Titanium
- 10 micron knife edge margin right off the machine
- No more metal casting problems – i.e. short margin, rocking, distortion, soldering, etc
- Ideal CAD/CAM substitute for base metal and noble metal
- Single crowns to 16-unit bridges
- ADA has placed Titanium between High Noble and Noble alloys in the revised classification
because of its excellent biocompatibility - Major insurance companies cover Titanium prosthetics at higher allowance than even noble metal
One hitch was that I had always heard that the veneering ceramics available for Titanium were not exactly aesthetically-pleasing. B&D Products was kind enough to provide us with a sample kit of their TriCeram porcelain, and a few titanium copings on which to practice. Here’s a look at our first effort -
PFT with Triceram Ceramic
This is a very simple body/incisal build-up, but it is enough to tell the shade out of the bottle is pretty good, and the ceramic stacks, fires and glazes nicely. We plan on doing some practical cases in the near future – Look for updates!
© 2010, Jeff Saylors. All rights reserved.
Hi there – May I ask who the manufacturer of the titanium is? Do you have any updates on the success of the porcelain? Do you outsource titanium frameworks to other labs? If so how much? Thanks, Mark G. Eves, CDT – Professional Dental Arts, Inc
Mark – I purchase the titanium through B&D Dental, and haven’t checked their source. That’s a good idea, though – Thanks. As for outsourcing for other labs, I probably will not do that (more of a management issue) , but if I change my mind I will post something on the blog
Mark,
Have you had any updates on the bonding of the porcelain to titanium? What special burs to you use to adjust the frames and do you need a special material to purge the oven? How do you clean the metal before opaque? As for B&D, any feedback on their source for the titanium?
Hi Guys,
I’ve been using B&D Dental for some time now as an outsource for YZ and Titanium copings. They’ve been on time and on budget! I recently purchased a 3Shape scanner so that I could do the design myself. I offer Ti copings to my accounts as an alternative to High Noble. I’m still in the process of “dialing-in” the fits. So far they are not acceptable. I’m sure I will get there. I use Dentarum Triceram as a veneer. So far, no issues. Titanium does require specific burs to prepare the surface. The material feels soft to grind and is prone to lapping. Dentarum offers these burs but I’m sure they’re available elsewhere. To me, Triceram porcelain handles like Vita VMK. If anything it is a little low in value. One side benefit – Triceram can be used on zirconia as well.