The Enamel Replacement Approach
High Density Micronization makes lithium disilicate ingot stand above the rest
Few products have had an immediate impact on my laboratory like GC Initial® LiSi Press has—especially the enamel replacement ingots. For years, I dreaded veneers. Fabricating refractory or foil veneers or thin-pressing lithium disilicate and then layering is very labor intensive and can cost my laboratory significant time.
GC Initial® LiSi Press is a lithium disilicate ceramic ingot with a technology unique to GC called High Density Micronization (HDM), which provides brilliant physical properties and extremely natural, lifelike esthetics. HDM uses equally dispersed lithium disilicate micro-crystals to fill the entire glass matrix rather than using traditional larger-size crystals that do not take full advantage of the matrix structure. The result is a combination of high strength and beautiful esthetics, making GC Initial® LiSi Press my preferred choice for restorations through all levels of transparency.
When GC released the GC Initial® LiSi Press High Transparency (enamel) ingots, it was a breath of fresh air, and now I look forward to fabricating veneers again. They have become my highest profit center and quickest cases to produce because I can now fabricate monolithic crowns and veneers with results that rival layered crowns. Best of all, with the >500-MPa strength of GC Initial® LiSi Press, I rarely worry about chipping or fractures.
The Bleach Extra White Enamel ingots are beautiful, with a balance of translucency and bright white that is difficult to achieve with layering. The enamel ingots really shine with the press and glaze technique. I find the High Transparency ingots match the GC Initial® incisal layering powders so closely that this product has made the weak, time-consuming foil or refractory veneers obsolete in my laboratory. Now, I can press and glaze while getting more beautiful, natural-looking results much faster and with significantly more strength than I've experienced in other products.
Another big time-saver is how cleanly and easily my pressings divest, due to a very minimal reaction layer. There is no need for hazardous hydrofluoric acid or alumina blasting. The GC Initial® LiSi Press investment system uses a unique release agent in the investment powder, which creates a gap or "tear-off line," resulting in an easily broken reaction layer. I have also found that this investment system gives me more working time than other products that I have used in the past.
Key Takeaways
› GC Initial® LiSi Press has a strength of >500 MPa, making chipping or fractures rare
› Bleach Extra White Enamel ingots offer a balance of translucency and bright white
› Significant time savings make GC Initial® LiSi Press a high profit center
About the Author
Al Hodges, CDT
Highland Dental Arts
Waynesburg, KY
Manufacturer Information
Manufacturer Information
GC America Inc.
gcamerica.com
800-323-7063
Disclaimer: The statements and opinions contained in the preceding material are not of the editors, publisher, or the Editorial Board of Inside Dental Technology.
