Castable glass ceramics for veneer restorations

Abstract

Porcelain veneer restorations are the usual technique chosen for the placement of esthetic veneer restorations. Cast glass ceramic veneers exhibit properties that make them extremely useful for this dental application. They have a hardness, abrasion resistance, coefficient of thermal expansion, and translucency similar to that of enamel. The use of the lost wax casting technique to provide precise anatomic form and margins allows for increased accuracy during veneer fabrication. Chairside time requirements may be decreased as a result of the improved accuracy inherent in the lost wax casting technique. The dentist's ability to maximize esthetics and decrease chairside time make this a technique likely to see increased use in the future.