A total of 671 IPS e.max Press restorations were placed over a five-year period. Three hundred and eighty-one restorations were evaluated at the recall. The majority of these restorations were anterior and posterior crowns as well as inlays and onlays. The result: 97 per cent received a five-star or excellent rating. The restorations were not only clinically acceptable but also of superior esthetic quality.

Praise from patients
Many patients remarked positively on the esthetics of the restorations. Only six per cent of the restorations were slightly opaque and lacked sufficient translucency. According to The Dental Advisor, this could, however, be due to inappropriate ingot selection. Specifically for this purpose, Ivoclar Vivadent has developed the new, special IPS e.max Shade Navigation App (SNA) to ensure that the right ingot is selected.

Resistance to fracture and retention
Less than two per cent of the restorations evaluated exhibited fractures or chipping. This fracture rate is less than half the average fracture rate of ceramics documented by The Dental Advisor over the past 27 years. Moreover, only four per cent of the restorations debonded and needed to be re-cemented. This rate is similar to the debonding results of other all-ceramic restorations monitored over 27 years by The Dental Advisor and is related to the preparation and the cement rather than the ceramic.

Conclusion: High esthetics, strength and durability
IPS e.max Press has proven to be a very esthetic, high-strength, durable material with excellent clinical performance over the five years it was monitored. Its performance has exceeded that of traditional porcelain-fused-to-metal restorations as well as all-ceramic restorations.

IPS e.max® is a registered trademark of Ivoclar Vivadent AG.