The invention relates to a method for the production of a blank of a ceramic material, wherein a first ceramic material and then a second ceramic material of different compositions are filled into a mold and wherein the materials are pressed and after pressing are sintered. Thereby, a layer of the first ceramic material is filled into the mold, a first open cavity is formed in the layer, the second ceramic material is filled into the first open cavity and the materials are pressed together and are then heat-treated. Both the first ceramic material and the second ceramic material contain, or consists of, lithium silicate glass ceramic.

Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a multilayer zirconia block for artificial teeth, including a first material mixing step of mixing a 3 mol % yttrium oxide-tetragonal zirconia polycrystal and an organic binder, a second material mixing step of mixing a 3 mol % yttrium oxide-tetragonal zirconia polycrystal, a 5 mol % yttrium oxide-tetragonal zirconia polycrystal and an organic binder, a third material mixing step of mixing a 5 mol % yttrium oxide-tetragonal zirconia polycrystal and an organic binder, a compression molding step of sequentially placing the mixtures obtained in the first material mixing step, the second material mixing step, and the third material mixing step in a mold for compression molding and performing compression molding, and a calcination step of calcining a compression molded product obtained in the compression molding step. This method provides a multilayer zirconia block that contains yttrium oxide, the amount of which is adjusted in the manufacturing process, thus showing a color similar to that of natural teeth after impregnation with a coloring solution.

Lithium silicate materials are described which can be easily processed by machining to dental products without undue wear of the tools.

A preform intended for the production of a dental prosthesis. The preform includes a group of agglomerated ceramic, glass-ceramic or glass particles, such that, as volume percents: more than 40% and less than 90% of the particles of said group have a size greater than 0.5 ?m and less than 3,5 ?m, said particles hereinafter being denoted enamel particles, and more than 10% and less than 60% of the particles of said group have a size greater than 3.5 ?m and less than 5.5 ?m, said particles hereinafter being denoted dentine particles. The microstructure of the preform is such that there is an axis X, termed axis of variation, along which the Ve/(Ve+Vd) ratio changes continuously, Ve and Vd denoting the volume percents of enamel particles and of dentine particles, respectively. The enamel and dentine particles representing, together, more than 90% of the volume of the agglomerated particles.

A method of attaching a dental article to the surface of a tooth includes providing the dental article and applying a coating including upconversion phosphors to a surface of the dental article. The method also includes applying a dental cement composition to the surface of the tooth and placing the dental article on the surface of the tooth such that the coating is adjacent the dental cement composition. The dental cement composition includes a polymerizable resin and a photoinitiator and is substantially free of upconversion phosphors. The method further includes irradiating the coating with a radiation source that emits radiation at a pre-determined fixed wavelength that causes the upconversion phosphors to emit radiation at an activation wavelength of the dental cement composition photoinitiator such that the dental cement composition cures in a region adjacent the coating and removing remaining uncured dental cement composition outside the dental article from the tooth.

The invention relates to glass-ceramics based on the lithium silicate system which can be mechanically machined easily in an intermediate step of crystallization and, after complete crystallization, represent a very strong, highly-translucent and chemically-stable glass-ceramic. Likewise, the invention relates to a method for the production of these glass-ceramics. The glass-ceramics according to the invention are used as dental material.

This invention relates to compositions and medical devices comprising anti-microbial active particles, for inhibiting microbial growth. This invention further provides methods of making such compositions and medical devices.

The present invention relates to anti-microbially active micro and nanoparticles, compositions comprising same, and use thereof for inhibiting bacterial growth and biofilm formation on surfaces or devices, e.g., dental surfaces or devices. The present invention further discloses methods of making such anti-microbially active micro or nanoparticles.

Pre-sintered blanks based on lithium metasilicate glass ceramic are described which are suitable in particular for the preparation of dental restorations.

In a method of coloring a ceramic material, a coloring solution consisting of metallic salts is introduced to a ceramic slurry. In a slip casting process, a coloring solution consisting of metallic salts is introduced to a ceramic slurry which is cast into green state bodies. A coloring solution that may comprise for example a metallic salt, a solvent, an organic solvent such as derivatives of propylene oxides, and an acid can be introduced to the slip casting process. Such a coloring solution can be added to the slip casting process. In a method, the coloring solution is thoroughly mixed with the ceramic slurry, after which a ceramic body is cast, dried and finally subjected to a sintering process. After final sinter, the resulting ceramic body possesses an innate color that is homogenous throughout its composition. The method is especially useful for coloring zirconia ceramic material used for making dental restorations.