What Is The Difference Between Zirconia And Lithium Disilicate?

When compared to ancient times, today the modern times use ceramic restorations more in the dentist industry. Because the main advantage of the ceramic restoration is that it will match our original teeth and also the strength of the material will be high.

Nowadays, people are more concerned about dental health, so they need more options in the materials used in the dentist industry. This is making a continuous demand for the synthesis of new materials that should be durable and should have life-like features.

Even though we can see a variety of materials in ceramics, but of all two materials which got popular in the dental world is zirconia-based and lithium disilicate-based. Before you choose the material, you need to know the difference between Zirconia and Lithium Disilicate.

What are Zirconia and Lithium Disilicate?

Lithium disilicate or porcelain fused to metal is one of the most preferred materials in the dental industry. This is getting demand each day because of its all-ceramic properties and also this is used as a full-coverage crown for many decades. As per the research, it has been found that this material shows a greater response because of its high strength and esthetic quality.

Zirconia played a major role in the conversion from metal to ceramic restoration, as the research on zirconia proved that it has greater strength. Zirconia is mainly used in the combination of CAD/CAM techniques and also it helps in the synthesis of crowns and partial dentures. Because of its hardness, biocompatibility, fracture resistance, and esthetic quality the zirconia has a wider scope.

Difference between the Zirconia and Lithium Disilicate:

• Strength

The flexural strength of zirconia is high which is up to 1400mPa and also the surface of the material will be glazed and polished so it will give a smoother finish. On the other hand, the flexural strength of lithium disilicate is 500mPa but it is mainly used for its anterior esthetic and beauty.

• Accuracy

Lithium disilicate is mainly preferred if there is any replacement of single or particular teeth as it will match the color of your original teeth. But zirconia will be used for overall designs and other kinds of replacements.

• Shade matching

When compared to the lithium disilicate, zirconia offers a better match shading to your teeth and no white spots will be found.

• Thinness

As the strength of the zirconia is high, so in most restoration cases it can be made thin only. This will make your preparation method more conservative and also you can make zirconia products up to ½mm thin. On the other hand, the maximum thickness of lithium disilicate will range from 1.5mm to 2mm.

• Cementing process

In the lithium disilicate, the material needed to be etched and bonded to keep them in place but the zirconia will make the cementing process easier as it can be conventionally cemented.

Based on the characteristics and features you can choose anyone depending on your needs and choice. If you want to get materials that come with superior quality and at a reasonable price then one of the best places to reach is Dental Laboratorio.

The future of Zirconia and Lithium Disilicate:

If you throw me the question of which is better either zirconia or lithium disilicate then I would say both materials are doing best in dental restoration. The usage of zirconia will continue to grow because of its esthetic quality and when it comes to lithium disilicate the demand for the material will increase. Even in the future, the lithium disilicate can be incorporated with zirconia or other elements. As per the reports, it is to be believed that new hybrids ceramic materials will be introduced in the market.

Few products of Zirconia and Lithium Disilicate:

• 3D Multilayer Sirona Cerec Dental Zirconia Block

This zirconia block is available in multi-color so there is no need for further dyeing operation. The zirconia block can be used in many ways such as the anterior crown, bridge, implant, posterior crown, and veneer. Some of the important characteristics of zirconia block are that its flexural strength, hardness, and bending strength.

The best part of this zirconia block is that you will get it in six different colors, translucency, and strength. And based on your needs and convenience, you can choose the one as the options will be more.

• Dental Cerec Block-Disilicate Lithium

Lithium disilicate is a glass-ceramic material and these kinds of materials are best for the cad cam milling system. While processing, the lithium disilicate will get partially crystallized, and also it will get a light purple color. At this stage, it is called blue porcelain blocks.

After processing, the hardness of the lithium disilicate will be low so which makes it easier to grind. Mostly, after the cutting of the prosthesis the material needs to be crystallized, and also it should be sintered at a temperature of 840⁰C and it will take 25 minutes. The best part of this material is that it won’t get shrink while sintering.

The characteristics of the disilicate lithium include excellent mechanical strength, it has high hardness when compared to the other materials, it will easily sit into your mouth by increasing your convenience, and the shrinkage is close to zero.

If you are choosing the lithium disilicate material then you need to know the advantages which are high restoration effect, high binding strength, easy milling, rapid crystallization which reduces the processing time, and even without glazing it will provide unique color.  

About us:

As the competition in the dental world increases, you will find a lot of places to grab the dental needs, but only a few will offer high-quality and affordable dental needs. In that list, we have Dental Laboratorio, which is a professional and online dental supply store that will offer all kinds of dental laboratory equipment and materials.

This is a one-stop place for all your dental materials and even they will help you in making the customizable products as per your needs. If you are planning to open a dental lab, then choose Dental Laboratorio to make your lab a better place for your patients.