Contessa™ Zirconia

Shade Selection

  • For basic shades, use the Vita Lumin, Vita 3D Master or Chromascop Shade Guides.
  • For bleached shades, use the Chromascop Bleached Shade Guide, Vita 3D Master Bleached Shade Guide or Illuminé Shade Guide.

Laboratory Requirements:

  1. Thoroughly detailed prescription denoting which teeth are to be crowned, extracted and/or bridged as well as selected shade.
  2. Clear and accurate upper and lower full arch impressions or study models.
  3. Bite registration.

Preparation Tips

  1. Contessa can be fabricated on conservative 360º butt or chamfer margin preparations. Clear margins are a prerequisite for an accurate restoration.
  2. Margins should be sharp, but all internal features, whether positive or negative, should be rounded as with any all-ceramic. Avoid sharp angles and undercuts.
  3. Maintain an even reduction of anatomical form.
  4. These are minimum requirements. Strength will be increased with more tooth reduction (Note: opacity will be less, translucency will be better).
  5. Contessa Zirconia connector sizes of 9 – 11 mm2 are sufficient to create esthetic restorations with harmonious dimension. Much more lifelike than 20 mm2 (4 x 5 mm) connector dimensions demanded by other systems.
  6. Include a pre-op model for all anterior cases. Include an impression of temporaries for all anterior restorations when four units are involved.

Adjustment Tips:

  • Avoid internal adjustment of Contessa Zirconia restorations. When adjustments are necessary, adjust prepped tooth.
  • Porcelain sections of the restoration may be polished with conventional ceramic polishing systems.
  • Avoid carbide use.

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