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You Should Know: EZ-Pedo by Krista Houstoun Associate Editor Dentaltown Magazine

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You Should Know:
EZ-Pedo
by Krista Houstoun, Associate Editor, Dentaltown Magazine

E for "esthetic" and Z for "zirconia," EZ-Pedo Zirconia Crowns, offered in more than 1,000 offices in 15 countries, have completely changed the landscape of aesthetic pediatric dentistry. Dentaltown Magazine met with founders Drs. John Hansen and Jeff Fisher to learn more about the company that created the world's first pre-fabricated pediatric zirconia crown.

How did EZ-Pedo come about?
Hansen: The idea was born out of a need for my son who injured his four front teeth when he was three years old. Though at the time the best materials available were used to fix his teeth, he still felt self-conscious about how his smile looked. His restorations also kept breaking, requiring frequent dental visits for repair. I knew there had to be a better way.

Working alongside nearly 50 pediatric dentists for more than 10 years, Dr. Fisher saw firsthand the challenges faced by pediatric dentists and the limited crown options available to them. Soon, he began to develop ideas for how they could be improved and surveyed pediatric dentists to determine the characteristics they would want in an ideal pediatric crown. One day, when Dr. Fisher provided anesthesia for my son, we decided to take action.

Tell us about what EZ-Pedo provides to dentists.
Fisher: EZ-Pedo is the first company in the world to bridge the gap between cosmetic adult dentistry and pediatrics, providing a USA-made aesthetic monolithic zirconia crown specifically designed for children. In addition, we also have proprietary Zir-Lock Ultra breakthrough technology, exclusively available from EZ-Pedo, which addresses the clinical limitations associated with smooth-walled zirconia crowns. Research shows that smooth-walled monolithic zirconia crowns come off. That's why EZ-Pedo designed a crown with built-in mechanical undercuts. Zir-Lock Ultra retention grooves at the margin minimize cement loss on the inside of the crown during cleanup, reducing micro-leakage at the margin while ensuring maximum crown retention.

What are some of the challenging clinical situations unique to pediatric dentistry, and how does EZ-Pedo help to address these issues?
Hansen: The biggest issues with pedo are aesthetics and durability. There seems to always be a compromise between aesthetics and strength. With our product, there isn't a compromise anymore. You get the best in strength as well as aesthetics, and the tissue response is incredibly healthy.

Tell us about the evolution of the product.
Hansen: In the very beginning we approached our design from strictly an aesthetic point of view. We tried to make a crown that was very anatomic looking and looked as much like a natural tooth as possible. However, because zirconia does not flex, our original anatomic crowns required much more tooth removal to get the crowns to seat. We changed our design so it is a modified anatomic design. You don't have to remove as much tooth structure, and it is still aesthetic. This modified anatomic shape also allows our crowns to seat much better in crowding or space-loss situations.

As practicing clinicians, we understand what the clinical challenges are. At EZ-Pedo we do all our manufacturing and design in-house. It is a huge advantage, because we transfer that knowledge to our design to meet these challenges. We have continually improved our product over the years; in fact, we have made 12 design revisions of our initial prototype introduced in 2007. So it might only be a tenth of a millimeter here or a tenth of a millimeter there, but the smallest details make a huge difference in how our product performs.

What is EZ-Pedo University all about?
Hansen: I have been involved with teaching hands-on programs in adult dentistry for many years, and it is the same concept for aesthetic pedo. The biggest challenge that we see when dentists try using zirconia crowns is that it is a very different prep from what they are used to doing, so there is a mind shift that has to take place. They will try our product, struggle with it, then it ends up on the shelf. Doctors need help with learning the preparation correctly and practicing it. Once they get that, it's like the light bulb goes on, and for many there is no turning back. What this program provides is the scientific and didactic knowledge, but also a hands-on component. EZPU is designed to provide doctors everything they need to be able to successfully implement EZ-Pedo Zirconia Crowns in their clinical practice.

For more information, visit www.ezpedo.com.

Dentaltown Magazine
September 2025
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