Technician Evaluation: Ivoclar's New IPS e.max® Zirconia

Every time a new milling material is introduced, the same questions come up in the lab: How strong is it? How does it mill? How does it behave in thin restorations? What does it really look like in the mouth? Can I trust it on a real patient?

This article provides the answers to those questions based on my practical evaluation of the new IPS e.max Zirconia from Ivoclar. To evaluate both the physical and optical properties of the material, I tested it on an eight-unit minimal-preparation laminate veneer case on a real patient—not a laboratory sample—with Dr. Andrew Kitzmiller.

Clinical Case Overview

The preparation reduction on teeth #5-12 was non-retentive and approximately 0.7mm and the interproximal contacts were preserved, making this an ideal case for testing a conservative veneer indication. The target shade was BL3.

The restorations were milled from an IPS e.max Zirconia BL3, 18 x 98.5-mm puck. The nesting position was selected to evaluate the material through the complete workflow: from the green state immediately after milling to the final sintered restoration.