Zirkonzahn Prettau® Anterior: We have learnt something more!

Prettau® Anterior is a new and highly biocompatible zirconia material from Zirkonzahn. Due to its high transparency it is ideally suited for use in the anterior tooth region and hence offers an ideal alternative to lithium disilicate.

According to a test procedure for determining the flexural strength, carried out at the University of Pennsylvania, Prettau Anterior has been able to achieve a value of 670 MPa. In the biaxial tensile test, carried out in accordance with ISO 6872 norm, lithium disilicate only attained approx. 360 MPa (+/- 60 MPa). Prettau Anterior is much more stable than common glass ceramics. The new zirconia material has the same transparency as lithium disilicate, while possessing a much higher bending strength. The range of indications of Prettau Anterior includes single and partial crowns, inlays, onlays, veneers and a maximum of 3-unit bridges (fully anatomic or reduced). Moreover, Prettau Anterior is also perfectly appropriate for the posterior area.

Due to the optimized microstructure of zirconium dioxide, Prettau Anterior has highly transparent and aesthetic properties. In combination with the Colour Liquids Prettau Anterior Aquarell especially developed for this purpose, the ICE Zirkon Prettau Stains and ICE Zirkon 3D by Enrico Steger Stains, fully anatomic restorations are now also possible in the anterior tooth region. In this way, the problem of ceramic chipping in the anterior tooth region can be avoided. As with Prettau Zirconia, the know-how of the dental technician is not particularly required for the layering technique, but rather for the colouring technique: the occlusal surface does not need to be tediously layered with ceramic, as it is directly copied from the fully modelled tooth.

Contrary to glass ceramic, Prettau Anterior is a polychrome (multi-coloured) material. This means that a Prettau Anterior restoration can be coloured in several colours already before the sintering process. This allows for individual solutions for every patient. Restorations made of glass ceramics merely show colour shades before sintering and only get their final characteristics through the use of colouring stains.

Unlike glass ceramics, it distinguishes itself not only through the higher bending strength, but also through its processing method, which is the same as for Prettau Zirconia: for processing of PrettauAnterior neither water cooling nor diamond drills are required. The material is milled dry and with common zirconia burs. This results in shorter milling times and lower material usage and wear. Prettau Anterior is sintered at only 1450°C, resulting in shorter sintering times.

The material can be processed with the Zirkonzahn milling units M1, M1 Wet, M1 Wet Heavy, M4, M5 and M6. No upgrade is necessary. Just like Prettau Zirconia, the new material also meets highest quality standards and is absolutely biocompatible. Prettau Anterior and its colouring liquids and stains are available now.