I love what my dental lab can do with ceramics these days. Whether I prescribe full-contour 3Y zirconia, high-translucence 5Y zirconia, or glass ceramics, I always get beautiful restorations out of the case pan. That is never where the problem is. The problem comes after we adjust the restoration to fit into the patient’s mouth. Sometimes we’re left with an anatomy-less blob of ceramic that kind of looks like a tooth. It’s OK. Those things happen.
But now when they do, I have a tool to fix it. The Occluzinator Zirconia Adjuster/Sculptor kit can take that ceramic blob and make it look beautiful again!
More Pearls:
Sidekick Basic by Smile Line USA
The Occluzinator Zirconia Adjuster/Sculptor kit is a bur block that comes with four burs, all designed to help you establish or re-establish anatomy in ceramic restorations. These burs are all designed and manufactured with the appropriate level of grit to work with these monolithic ceramic restorations. The acorn-shaped burs will carve new triangular and oblique ridges where none exist. The patented angles of the acorns will generate planes that the Christmas-tree-shaped burs will sharpen and smooth.
Starting with the large acorn-shaped bur (901R/PF), the major planes forming the cuspal inclines are sculpted. Once the planes are formed, the Christmas-tree-shaped bur (825R, 029PF) is used to smooth and sharpen the zenith lines that two adjacent planes form. Now that there is the beautiful basic anatomical shape created, the small acorn (905R/PF) can be used to place secondary anatomy.
The acorn-shaped burs have a safe edge limit so they can’t be buried too deep into the ceramic. This is a great bur for sculpting those occlusal grooves into the restoration. There’s also PR151PF, which is a smaller, sharper version of the same bur. When used together, they can add some very nice and detailed primary and secondary anatomy. Many dentists prefer to shape the “bowl” or “stadium” shape of the marginal ridge area with an egg-shaped bur. For that, this kit has the 379/023PF bur, but avoid using it on the triangular ridge area of the cusps or oblique ridges as it can leave a concavity.
These burs should be used at a moderate to low RPM setting, and should definitely be used with water spray to help keep the ceramic cool and away from fracturing. After adjusting with the Occluzinator Zirconia Adjuster/Sculptor kit, I would polish with your normal porcelain polishing point system or the Diacera Twist wheels and points that come with this set. This bur kit will allow you to get back the anatomy that you once had before adjustments.
Editor's note: This article appeared in the May 2023 print edition of Dental Economics magazine. Dentists in North America are eligible for a complimentary print subscription. Sign up here.
