CEREC® SpeedFire Furnace
Sinter, crystallize, and glaze zirconia and other materials without the lab
Douglas M. Schulz, DDS
As a user and supporter of CAD/CAM dentistry since 1998, I’ve observed the evolution of cosmetic dentistry and seen television shows like Extreme Makeover influence and change the kind of dentistry patients expect. People began to demand “tooth colored” restorations, eliminating cast gold as the backbone of my practice. With the advent of milled, chairside restorations, I embarked on a journey that would change my practice and my life.
The transition to digital dentistry was not “easy” per se, but persistence and perseverance with the new technology ultimately paid off. I mastered the practice and soon had an opportunity to teach CEREC® courses for Patterson Dental and beta test many products for Dentsply Sirona. Although I was not a beta tester for their latest product innovation, the CEREC SpeedFire furnace, I now have one in my practice and can assure you that it is even better than what you may have heard thus far.
With the advantage of the CEREC SpeedFire furnace, I can complete a single-visit zirconia restoration in less than an hour and a half. I no longer have to mill a zirconia crown and have my lab sinter it overnight, because I can now sinter the crown in-office in less than 15 minutes thanks to the furnace’s new induction technology.
The volume of the material in the restoration that needs to be sintered is communicated from the CEREC unit directly to the furnace, and then the SpeedFire calculates the time needed for that restoration. In this manner, it’s no longer a “one size fits all” kind of program, and restorations are never over- or underfired. Don’t have a dry mill? No problem, because the furnace adds about 15 to 18 minutes to dry the restoration prior to sintering.
For those who customize zirconia, the “raw” zirconia can be infiltrated with any array of liquid colorants, and stained and glazed or polished without doing anything to the crown, depending upon the desired effect. Glazing is a 9-minute cycle.
The CEREC SpeedFire is not limited to sintering crowns; the creation of custom abutments is possible as well. The furnace can sinter up to three crowns or a 3-unit bridge at one time and can crystalize and glaze other materials as well.
Most of the materials I have used throughout the last 16 years required bonding and a shoulder or chamfer preparation. Now, I can prep the restoration however I like and cement it. I forgot how nice it is to cement a crown, especially one that won’t break and has no sensitivity!
For more information, contact:
Dentsply Sirona
1-844-848-0137
www.dentsplysirona.com
About the Author
Douglas M. Schulz, DDS, has maintained a private practice in Overland Park, Kansas for more than 30 years. He is passionate about occlusion and restorative dentistry, and hosts live patient care educational programs at his practice’s training facility, which features an auditorium and full surgical operatory.
