President Zirkon.X Colored Zirconia Block

Zirkon.X colored zirconia block — finishing workflow

a. Scanning and design

• Use a high-accuracy scanner for correct data, then design according to the patient’s situation and clinical requirements
• For all-ceramic restorations, thickness must not be less than 0.6 mm
• Fracture resistance depends on zirconia bridge geometry — prefer a relatively high connector
• Connector cross-section must be at least 9 mm²
• On posterior teeth, the number of bridge units should not exceed two

b. Milling / shaping

• Use new milling burs and avoid coolant water for a satisfactory restoration
• After shaping, inspect blocks for: (1) clearly visible light areas on the surface; (2) abnormal color; (3) cracks — remake if any are present

c. Cleaning / separation

• Gently polish the connector with a handpiece and separate the restoration from the zirconia blank
• To prevent cracking, speed must not exceed 10,000 rpm
• Brush off zirconia powder; keep the cleaned crown free of water, wetting agents, oil contamination, dust, and milling debris

d. Staining

• Use plastic forceps to place the crown or bridge in the dipping container; fully cover with coloring liquid
• Remove with plastic forceps and air-dry until no visible liquid remains, then start drying
• Infrared drying is recommended: place the restoration 80–100 mm from the IR drying light for 30–50 minutes (see Aidite coloring liquid instructions)

e. Sintering

• Place the restoration upside down on zirconia beads in the crucible, then sinter in the sintering furnace (sintering schedule attached / provided separately)
• Replace zirconia beads and crucible regularly; keep the furnace clean — residual coloring liquid, atmospheric moisture, or dust can contaminate
• Aging heating rods can drop metal residues that oxidize and coat the furnace, causing opacity or black/white spots on sintered restorations
• Clean furnace residues at least once a month and run an empty burn with remaining zirconia material inside

f. Grinding and polishing

• After rough shaping and fine grinding over the entire restoration body, porcelain work can proceed
• Use grinding tips in sequence for coarse then fine grinding
• Polish from one side of the tooth to the other (one direction only)
• Control pressure and speed; avoid polishing the same spot continuously — local overheating can crack teeth

g. Porcelain and staining / final glaze

• Follow the porcelain manufacturer’s instructions when applying porcelain
• Design the framework to anatomic morphology to avoid cracks; avoid direct occlusal-edge force on the tooth margin
• Ideal shade should be achieved in a single staining step
• Mix stain paste / shade paste and glaze paste to cream consistency per the shade guide
• Ensure the restoration surface is fully clean before staining; use staining liquid to wet/clean the brush or thin the paste as needed
• Stain from cervical toward the incisal; the incisal can be glazed directly or mixed with blue stain for higher translucency
• Occlusal color can be darkened with terracotta or brown stain paste
• One coat of stain is typically enough; repeat if needed
• Apply the final glaze / finishing coat to the restoration product (zirconia block workflow)