Product Profile

Obsidian lithium silicate ceramic is a state-of-the-art restorative material that can be used for PFM, all-ceramic and chairside-milled cases. With this versatility, Obsidian enables clinicians to prescribe a single material for virtually any indication in the mouth. A simplified workflow ensues, because using Obsidian easily facilitates a cohesive appearance across the arch, even when the oral situation demands multiple types of restorations.

Obsidian outperforms the competition, offering over four times more flexural strength and twice as much chip resistance as traditional feldspathic ceramics. Furthermore, the translucency and aesthetics of the material match those of natural dentition, making Obsidian the optimal combination of utility and beauty.

Pressed to metal
The latest release in the product line, Obsidian Pressed to Metal restorations are exceptional PFMs for today's clinician. Rather than fusing feldspathic porcelain to cast metal, Obsidian lithium silicate ceramic is pressed to laser-sintered understructures to form a modernized PFM. Each case is designed digitally and fabricated through unique computer-controlled processes, resulting in precise restorations.

The understructures are made through a method in which a programmable laser beam strikes metal powder to build the desired shape, layer by layer. The anatomy is formed by heat-pressing lithium silicate into a 3-D–printed mold. Finished Obsidian Pressed to Metal crowns and bridges achieve far greater strength than their traditional PFM predecessors. These natural-looking, chip-resistant restorations are ideal for covering dark preps and endodontic posts. Indications include crowns and bridges anywhere in the arch, and screw-retained and cemented implant restorations.

All-ceramic
Obsidian All-Ceramic restorations are made from the same lithium silicate ceramic used for the pressed to metal restorations, meaning that monolithic and ceramo-metal prostheses can be placed next to one another with outstanding results. These all-ceramic restorations mirror the vitality and translucency of natural dentition, and are indicated for individual anterior and posterior crowns, veneers, inlays, onlays and three-unit anterior bridges.

Case presentation by Anamaria Muresan, DMD, ME, CDT
A male patient presented to the Glidewell Laboratories operatory unsatisfied with the mismatched appearance and chipped, uneven incisal edges of his maxillary central incisors. The patient reported that he was so unhappy with his current oral situation that he never smiled. We restored his smile using Obsidian lithium silicate ceramic, placing one pressed to metal crown and five veneers. Looking at the "Before" image, note that tooth #8 appears gray because of previous root canal treatment and the resulting metal post showing through the all-ceramic crown.

When a patient presents with a metal post, my rationale is to use a PFM to stop the show-through. The Obsidian crown used here completely hid the endodontic post without forcing me to select an unaesthetic, dark shade in hopes of masking it. The Obsidian crown on tooth #8 and Obsidian veneers on #6, #7 and #9–11 easily match one another in terms of shade and aesthetics. The patient was thrilled with the outcome.