As clinicians and clinic owners, most of our decisions stem from the question, "How will this impact my patients?" Whether investing in updated technology or implementing new treatment methods, the final decision must benefit both the clinic and the patients.
From a cost perspective, completing restorations in-house is appealing, but more importantly, it eliminates the need for a second patient visit (i.e., removing the temporary restoration and placing the lab-fabricated restoration), thus improving the patient experience. For both parties, treatment is completed faster, which is certainly a good thing.
More than a decade later, I still benefit from my initial investment in chairside equipment, which has also encouraged me to continuously explore innovations, such as introducing a high-temperature sintering furnace.
I found that this new equipment not only complements my existing chairside workflow but also improves overall efficiency.
Knowing How You Want to Use It
Two years ago, I introduced a zirconia sintering furnace because of its ability to sinter zirconia. My clinic uses an oven for staining and glazing and a four-motor milling machine for dry milling of zirconia.
The zirconia sintering furnace has a wide range of functions and can provide various services for dental clinics, but for us, we particularly value its ability to sinter zirconia used for making small three-unit bridges and single crowns.
It has both sintering and glazing functions and reaches high temperatures quickly, reducing downtime waiting for finished products. This furnace is also one of the smallest on the market.
I appreciate its small footprint because I have other ovens and chairside equipment that need to be used in conjunction with it, and I don't need to take up valuable space to accommodate it.
Finding the Right Materials
The choice of materials used in the furnace significantly impacts the final product. Material selection is influenced by several factors and may require experimentation to determine the best option. Some factors I consider include pre-treatment design, aesthetic requirements, and strength.
For second molars, I tend to use the strongest materials. Ideally, a material that balances both strength and aesthetics should be found.
As more new materials are developed and applied, the efficiency of the zirconia sintering furnace will become even more important.
Using new materials in older furnaces can take up to 90 minutes for heating and complete cooling. However, using a new type of zirconia sintering furnace, the same material can be processed in approximately 20 minutes.