METAL FREE CERAMICS: A REVIEW.

For the last ten years, the application of high-technology processes to dental ceramics allowed for the development of new materials such as heat-pressed, injection-molded, and slip-cast ceramics and glass-ceramics. To select the most appropriate type of all-ceramic system for clinical use, the clinician must be familiar with the differences between systems. High-strength all-ceramic systems for fixed partial dentures (FPDs) are available for replacing a missing tooth. New core/framework materials have been developed and have evolved in the last decade. With the advancement of CAD/CAM technology, various fabrication techniques have been developed for fabricating improved, consistent, and predictable restorations in terms of strength, marginal fit, and esthetics and for managing core/framework materials that could not otherwise be managed. Concepts on the structure and strengthening mechanisms of dental ceramics are provided. The purpose of the present paper is to review advances in new materials and processes available for making all-ceramic dental restorations.