Whether you are newly qualified or have been in practice for many years, you are bound to pick up some valuable tips from this online course. Prep design is a vital factor and this course reviews prep parameters and advises on prepping for different restorations. Because any case is only as good as the impression it starts with; we also take an in-depth look at impressions, particularly which materials are best to use and the increasing popularity of digital impressions. All-ceramic restorations are fast replacing PFMs and gold crowns. Our course covers the most popular materials, indications, and contraindications.
A Great Restoration Begins with a Great Prep
A well-designed prep greatly increases the chances of a successful restoration. Our course will refresh your memory on parameters for different restorations, such as crowns, veneers and inlays and onlay. We will also review prep designs for anterior and posterior restorations.
Without an excellent impression, the chances of achieving a well-fitting restoration are greatly reduced. The quality control team at our dental lab carefully grades every impression, giving it a rating of 1–5, with 5 being a textbook quality impression. Sometimes defects in an impression can be repaired but other times a new impression will be needed. There are many factors that can influence the quality of an impression and we do understand that patient compliance can sometimes be problematic. The course will help explain the factors taken into account while grading impressions and when and why we will contact a dentist to ask for a new impression.
Our dental lab is receiving an increasing number of digital impressions and in this course, we will discuss how this technology can be advantageous for clinicians and patients. Once you become accustomed to taking digital impressions, the process can be faster, cheaper and greener. Patients often appreciate this cutting-edge technology and especially prefer it because it is more comfortable.
All-ceramic restorations have become much more popular with the introduction of newer, stronger and more aesthetically pleasing materials. If you are unfamiliar with using all-ceramic restorations, our course provides a brief overview of which materials to select and covers the use of Empress, e.max, full-contour, and layered zirconia, as well as the new zirconia HT. We discuss why it can be advantageous for patients and clinicians to choose all-ceramic restorations over conventional PFMs and gold crown and when each material is best used for specific situations. For example, Empress restorations provide optimal results when used within the esthetic zone and are not suitable for posterior restorations or for people with bruxism. In comparison, e.max is a stronger material that can be used to fabricate three-unit bridges and is equally esthetic for cosmetic cases. Zirconia is strongest of all but full-contour zirconia is often quite opaque and may only suitable when restoring posterior teeth away from the smile line. We will also assess suitable cement and bonding agents for each material.
One thing we stress in all our courses is the need to find a good lab that will communicate with you and ensure you receive the very best results for your patients with every case. In this short and efficient class, we have managed to include a lot of information that we hope you will find useful! Please remember that this course can provide CE credit and you can complete it online at any time.