A total of 671 IPS e.max Press restorations were placed over a five-year period, and 381 restorations were evaluated at the recall. The majority of these restorations were anterior and posterior crowns, as well as inlays and onlays. The result: 97% received a five-star or excellent rating. The restorations were not only clinically acceptable but also of superior esthetic quality.
Praise from patients
Many patients remarked positively on the esthetics of the restorations. Only 6% of the restorations were slightly opaque and lacked sufficient translucency. According to the Dental Advisor, this could, however, be due to inappropriate ingot selection. Specifically for this purpose, Ivoclar Vivadent has developed the new IPS e.max Shade Navigation App (SNA) to ensure that the right ingot is selected.
Resistance to fracture and retention
Less than 2% of the restorations evaluated exhibited fractures or chipping. This fracture rate is less than half the average fracture rate of ceramics documented by the Dental Advisor over the past 27 years. Moreover, only 4% of the restorations debonded and needed to be re-cemented. This rate is similar to the debonding results of other all-ceramic restorations monitored over 27 years by the Dental Advisor and is related to the preparation and the cement rather than the ceramic.
