December 17, 2018 | Beth Collington, Sr Manager, Digital Materials - Global Prosthetic Solutions | Digital Impressions, Workflows
We recently conducted a market survey regarding digital dentures and found that 60% of respondents plan to transition to a completely digital workflow to produce their dentures. Manufacturers like Zirlux and Myerson Tooth Company are catering to the growing demands of labs as they are making the transition to digital dentures and partials with a series of high-performance, millable plastics that they have released in the last 18 months that can be used for partial frameworks, among other indications.
These transformative new materials—the latest addition of which is Duraflex CAD—are available to labs that are looking to add a flexible partial framework material to their digital workflow. Duraflex CAD is an advanced thermoplastic that produces pink, tissue-born, flexible, partial denture frameworks in a digital workflow. Due to its unique chemical properties, it does not absorb water, resulting in a partial denture that is resistant to stains, bacteria, and odors. In the event that the surface is stained, the restoration can easily be restored with a cleaner or polisher. VisiClear CAD offers the same properties and benefits as Duraflex CAD but in a clear disc, which allows the framework to assume the color of surrounding tissue and dentition. For labs looking for a tooth-born partial framework, Zirlux Acetal is a semi-flexible, tooth colored material. It's ideal for partial denture frameworks and other metal-free removable applications. The flexibility of these materials offers increased patient comfort and the digital workflow results in an excellent fit due to the accuracy offered by scanned models and digital manufacturing.
Duraflex CAD, Zirlux Acetal, and VisiClear CAD are all exclusively available from Zahn Dental for in-house milling or from CMC as an outsourcing option.
Learn more about the key differences between Duraflex CAD, Zirlux Acetal, and VisiClear CAD in this short video with Kris Schermerhorn.