IPS e.max
A lithium disilicate glass-ceramic made by Ivoclar Vivadent, used for veneers, inlays and single crowns.
- Manufacturer
- Ivoclar Vivadent AG
- Manufacturer's site
- www.ivoclar.com
IPS e.max is a lithium disilicate glass-ceramic manufactured by Ivoclar Vivadent of Liechtenstein. It is used for veneers, inlays, onlays and single crowns, and is the material most often meant when a clinic quotes for "e.max veneers".
Its characteristic is translucency. Lithium disilicate transmits light in a way closer to natural enamel than most opaque ceramics, which is why it is favoured for front teeth where appearance matters most. It is bonded to the tooth rather than cemented conventionally, and that bond is part of what gives the restoration its strength.
It is not the right material everywhere. For long-span bridges, for heavy grinders, and for posterior teeth under high load, zirconia is stronger and usually the more appropriate choice. A treatment plan that specifies the same material for every tooth in the mouth has been designed around a price list rather than around the teeth.
Naming a manufacturer is not a claim that one system produces a better result than another. Outcomes depend far more on planning, on the surgery itself and on how you heal than on whose system is used. Ask for the make, model and reference number of anything implanted, in writing, before you travel home.
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