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KaVo
In a new partnership with VITA ZahnFabrik, KaVo’s Everest CAD/CAM system will be able to mill the VITABLOCS Mark II and the VITA CAD-Temp monoColor material. KaVo also has partnered with Bego to provide Everest users with access to laser sintered products through a joint defined data interface. The company also has established the KaVo Everest portal, an interactive exchange platform for Everest scanning, milling, and service partners.

Dentsply Prosthetics
Dentsply was not short on new product introductions this IDS. Beyond new developments for the Cercon CAD/CAM system, notable innovations include the ShadeStar digital shade selector. Completely cable-free, the battery-operated ShadeStar takes a shade in less than a second.

The company also introduced Xena, a new line of denture teeth with a life-like surface structure for a modern, natural look. Available in a choice of molds including 22 upper and eight lower anteriors, the denture teeth come in a choice of two design variations and three posterior sizes.

Cercon Ceram Love is Dentsply’s new zirconia veneering porcelain with optimized microstructure to bond firmly to the framework. Comprised of 13 liner pastes, 23 dentin porcelains and three incisals, the layering material is indicated for the three-layer technique.

Straumann
The big announcement from Straumann this year is a partnership with Ivoclar Vivadent for creating The Straumann Anatomic IPS e.max Abutment, which is milled from an IPS e.max zirconia blank manufactured by Ivoclar for Straumann. The all-ceramic abutment is strong enough to be used anywhere in the mouth and can be restored using direct veneering or pressing techniques. It is available in two gingival heights and two shades. The company also announced the acquisition of IVS Solutions AG, a privately held company that produces proprietary software applications used for computer-guided implant surgery and the design and laboratory fabrication of surgical templates.

Amann Girrbach
It was a natural step for Amann Girrbach to move from copymilling technology and production of high-quality zirconia milling blanks to now introducing an automated CAD/CAM scanning, milling, sintering solution, and that’s exactly what they have done (to get the details go to “CAD/CAM, CAD/CAM Everywhere”). We also got a look at the sleek new Smartmix X2 and Smartbox X2, which will be coming to the U.S. market soon, and a tour of the company’s newly established online learning center at www.d-lab24.com where users can get application and instruction on using Amann Girrbach products.

More innovations
Tucked away in a corner or in a booth of a major manufacturer were jewels of new products that deserve mention.

Renfert’s new Sympro high-performance denture cleaning device certainly marks the first new approach to cleaning those irascible 10-year-old-plus dentures that are in for a reline or repair. The cleaning chamber of this compact unit sits at a 35˚ cant and contains magnetized metal pins that in conjunction with a specially formulized liquid cleaner, pick and clean surface deposits. The fluid inside the chamber reverses rotation so the denture is always positioned against the flow and rotated during the cleaning process.

A German company, Realizer GmbH, showcased its SLM 50 desktop selective laser melting/laser welding unit. This software-driven device features a moving laser head and moving metal powder container located inside the chamber. Based on the 3D data input for either laser sintering or laser welding, the laser precisely moves to sinter the metal powder laid down or weld a seam or spot weld a joint. The unit can build up to 30 individual copings concurrently in cobalt chrome or gold.

Metoxit Dental, manufacturers of zirconia milling blanks for many of the CAD/CAM equipment and material suppliers in the U.S. and abroad, introduced a new Z-CAD milling block with a plastic collar to reduce material waste and to protect the blank from chipping or damaging when used multiple times. Z-CAD zirconia milling blanks also now come in four shades to eliminate manual shade dipping of copings and frameworks. At an invitation-only reception and dinner held in a Mercedes dealership, Metoxit’s CEO Wolfram Weber announced a new ceramic material called Ziraldent that the well-known bur manufacturer KOMET is using to create a line of all-ceramic drills, burs, and tips the company calls Ceraline. 

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