CAP Introduces Revolutionary Zirconia With Strength, Esthetics
cubeX2 has translucency comparable to lithium disilicate
Leaving dental technicians in a state of disbelief is not an easy thing to do, considering the constant flow of new technologies entering the field. But that is exactly what Dental Direkt's cubeX2 super-high translucent zirconia did to Custom Automated Prosthetics' (CAP) Bob Cohen, CDT, and Pamela Hanneman, CDT, when they first saw the material.
"We could not believe how beautiful it was," says Cohen, President and Co-Founder of CAP. "It looked like lithium disilicate."
Hanneman, CAP's Milling Center Manager, adds, "It was unexpected, but I'm quite pleased. If you can get the translucency and beauty that lithium disilicate offers with an MPa of 720, honestly you could not ask for more."
Germany-based Dental Direkt developed cubeX2 from a zirconia powder created by Tosoh Corporation. CAP had a prior relationship with Dental Direkt, Cohen says, and started working about 5 months ago to bring cubeX2 to the US.
"As a certified ceramist who has been in this industry for many years," Hanneman says, "the thought of this new material was very exciting. So I was very eager to try it out. I am quite impressed with the product and eager to provide this superior restoration to CAP's customers. I feel strongly that it is a game changer."
cubeX2 has a flexural strength of 720 MPa-approximately twice that of lithium disilicate. Its high translucency allows the patient's natural dentin color to come through the zirconia.
The material also comes with the usual manufacturing advantages of zirconia: a simple milling process and cheaper materials.
"Ease of use and ease of manufacturing offer significant savings," Cohen says.
In addition, unlike with some zirconia, cubeX2 has a quick shading process.
"With the cubeX2, you paint on an incisal layering, give it a quick dip into the liquid, and that is it," Hanneman says. "The working instructions are easy to follow and learn; this eliminates the learning curve when using a new product."
The product can be used for all single-unit and some 3-unit bridges, Cohen says. It also can be used for screw-retained crowns and implants.
FDA clearance for cubeX2 is expected in March. CAP has been running internal non-clinical tests to hone shade and esthetics.
"A lot of ceramists have been waiting for a product like this to achieve lifelike results," Hanneman says. ‘The zirconia of days past always had the stigma of being too high in value or too bright, causing difficulty in achieving the final desired value. cubeX2 eliminates this problem."
CAP plans to use cubeX2 to manufacture restorations at its milling center, and the millable material also will also be available through the company's online store.
The goal is to make the revolutionary product both affordable and available to as many laboratories as possible.
"It is definitely a next-generation product," Cohen says. "Word is out on these materials, and now it is just a question of how quickly they are going to really take over."
