Written by Dr. Ian Shuman
The Easiest Path to Long-Lasting Aesthetically Pleasing Crowns
Many temporary materials are simply not designed to be worn long-term. I’ve found LuxaCrown to be the ideal material for long-lasting crowns. This long-term durable crown and bridge material can effortlessly withstand wear and tear over time, while fending off staining to continually maintain clean, natural-looking aesthetics.
LuxaCrown is an excellent interim solution that enables dentists to provide patients with beautiful reliable restorations that are long lasting. It distinctly captures and defines the finer marginal areas, forming a reliable seal. What’s more, LuxaCrown is fast, easy, and simple to use, allowing dentists to provide a superior result all in one office visit. Patients are quickly restored with this strong, aesthetically-pleasing material.
Case Presentation
Create, finish, and polish a 3-unit bridge with 2nd bicuspid extraction using a long-term crown and bridge material.
Technique
Step 1 – Prior to extracting the pre-molar, a primary impression is captured using StatusBlue, an efficient, clean and stable polyvinyl siloxane (PVS) material which is an excellent alginate alternative. StatusBlue can be used in the fully-automated MixStar machine or, as in this case, dispensed by hand using a hand gun.
The PVS material is expressed into the tray while keeping the applicator tip submerged in the material to avoid any air bubbles.
Step 2 – Seat the tray in the patient’s mouth, allowing the material to set for two minutes.
Step 3 – Remove the tray. The result is a perfectly captured impression with extremely sharp detail even around the margins.
Step 4 – The StatusBlue impression is then tried on the prepped teeth.
Step 5 – Now, LuxaCrown is used to create a long-lasting provisional for our 3-unit bridge. Just as we did for the PVS material, we’re going to express the LuxaCrown into the impression while keeping the tip buried in the material. Always express a little more than needed, just beyond the margins to prevent the creation of voids. The goal is to create a monoblock of material..
Step 6 – After two minutes of setting time, remove the impression to unveil a fully-formed, almost completely finished, beautiful long-term provisional.
Step 7 – The LuxaCrown provisional is fairly clean, but any resulting “flash” is easily removed with a flick of the finger or the use of a high speed finishing bur. Flash is not easily seen intraorally because it blends in with the adjacent dentition, therefore, it’s extremely important to remove all excess material before-hand to avoid any occlusal interferences.
To further refine for implant cases, a high-speed bur can be used to form a bullet-shaped pontic. The pontic will often create a good starting point for the future osteotomy.
Step 8 – After polishing the provisional using pumice, rinsing and drying, we are now ready to apply LuxaGlaze. LuxaGlaze is a very thick, unfilled light-cured resin designed specifically to glaze provisionals for long-term use. Be sure to apply LuxaGlaze to the tissue facing surface of the pontic as well so that the entire restoration is fully glossy and highly glazed.
LuxaGlaze locks in the surface of the provisional for a continuous smooth area. Moreover, it helps to prevent staining, a characteristic that LuxaCrown intrinsically holds, but LuxaGlaze delays the process even further.
Step 9 – The 3-unit bridge is then light cured. LuxaGlaze cures in as little as 10 seconds, providing a quick, easy and aesthetically superior alternative to mechanical polishing.
Conclusion
The finished product is a highly-aesthetic, durable and well-fitted long-term provisional that are long-lasting. LuxaCrown is truly a game-changer. It is ideal for cases where you’re waiting for long-term healing, and patients with periodontal disease. If you take a little time with finishing and polishing, you can make gorgeous, reliable long-lasting crowns that will last for years.