The invention relates to a method to produce a dental structure with a cavity having a negative form of the structure, which is formed in an investment material, wherein flowable lithium silicate glass ceramic is pressed into the cavity. Thereby a compressive surface stress is created in the ceramic structure through the replacement of lithium ions by alkali ions, in that the model is enriched with alkali compounds and/or the model is covered with a layer of a material containing alkali ions.

The invention relates to a coated glass substrate or glass ceramic substrate with resistant, multi-functional surface properties, including a combination of anti-microbial, anti-reflective and anti-fingerprint properties, or a combination of anti-microbial, anti-reflective and anti-fingerprint properties where the substrate is chemically pre-stressed, or a combination of anti-microbial and anti-reflective properties where the substrate is chemically pre-stressed. The coated glass substrate or glass ceramic substrate exhibits a unique combination of functions which are permanently present and do not exert a negative effect on each other.

The invention refers to a method for producing a dental restoration comprising a lithium silicate glass or glass ceramic as well as a dental restoration inself. The invention further refers to a ingot with the same composition having a defined strength.

Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide a lithium silicate crystalline or amorphous glass overlaying the top surfaces of zirconia and the manufacturing process thereof. More specifically, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide a lithium silicate glass or lithium silicate crystalline glass with high light transmittance and good coloring characteristics and the manufacturing process thereof, which overlays the top surface of zirconia with high mechanical strength, frameworks, or copings. The lithium silicate crystalline or amorphous glass may include 10-15 wt % Li.sub.2O, 71.1-85.0 wt % SiO.sub.2, 2-5 wt % P.sub.2O.sub.5 working as nuclear formation agent, 1-5 wt % Al.sub.2O.sub.3 to increase glass transition temperature and softening temperature, as well as chemical durability of the glass, and 0.01-1.0 wt % ZrO.sub.2 which increases the binding strength of the zirconia substructure.

Provided is a Li.sub.2O—Al.sub.2O.sub.3—SiO.sub.2-based crystallized glass in which a yellowish tint due to TiO.sub.2, Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 or so on is reduced. The Li.sub.2O—Al.sub.2O.sub.3—SiO.sub.2-based crystallized glass contains, in terms of % by mass, 40 to 90% SiO.sub.2, 5 to 30% Al.sub.2O.sub.3, 1 to 10% Li.sub.2O, 0 to 20% SnO.sub.2, 1 to 20% ZrO.sub.2, 0 to 10% MgO, 0 to 10% P.sub.2O.sub.5, and 0 to below 2% TiO.sub.2.

Photosensitive lithium zinc aluminosilicate glasses that can be selectively irradiated and cerammed to provide patterned regions of glass and lithium-based glass ceramic, and composite glass articles made from such glasses and glass ceramics are provided. Compressive and tensile stress at the interface of the lithium-based glass-ceramic and lithium zinc aluminosilicate glass may be used to frustrate crack propagation in such a composite glass/glass ceramic article. Methods of making composite glass articles comprising such lithium-based glass ceramics and lithium zinc aluminosilicate glasses are also provided.

The present application provides LAS type transparent glass-ceramics of β-quartz of composition containing a high content of zinc, articles constituted at least in part of said glass-ceramics, glasses precursors of said glass-ceramics (with a low viscosity at high temperature), and also a method of preparing said articles. Said glass-ceramics present a composition, free of arsenic oxide and antimony oxide, except for inevitable traces, expressed as percentages by weight of oxides, containing: 64.5% to 66.5% of SiO.sub.2; 19.0% to 20.6% of Al.sub.2O.sub.3; 3.0% to 3.6% of Li.sub.2O; 0 to 1% of MgO; 1.7% to 3.4% of ZnO; 2% to 3% of BaO; 0 to 3% of SrO; 0 to 1% of CaO; 2% to 4% of TiO.sub.2; 1% to 2% of ZrO.sub.2; 0 to 1% of Na.sub.2O; 0 to 1% of K.sub.2O; with Na.sub.2O+K.sub.2O+BaO+SrO+CaO≤6%; optionally up to 2% of at least one fining agent comprising SnO.sub.2; and optionally up to 2% of at least one coloring agent.

Lithium disilicate apatite glass-ceramics are described which are characterized by a high chemical stability and can therefore be used in particular as restoration material in dentistry.

A transparent, colorless and non-scattering glass-ceramic plate of lithium aluminosilicate type and containing crystals of β-quartz structure, the chemical composition of which does not contain oxides of arsenic, of antimony and of neodymium, and includes the following constituents within the limits defined below, expressed as weight percentages: SiO.sub.2 55-75%; Al.sub.2O.sub.3 12-25%; Li.sub.2O 2-5%; Na.sub.2O+K.sub.2O 0-<2%; Li.sub.2O+Na.sub.2O+K.sub.2O 0-<7%; CaO 0.3-5%; MgO 0-5%; SrO 0-5%; BaO 0.5-10%; CaO+BaO >1%; ZnO 0-5%; TiO.sub.2 ≦1.9%; ZrO.sub.2 ≦3%;TiO.sub.2+ZrO.sub.2 >3.80%; SnO.sub.2 ≧0.1%; SnO.sub.2/(SnO.sub.2+ZrO.sub.2+TiO.sub.2)<0.1.

The invention relates to the use of lithium silicate glass ceramics and glasses with caesium oxide content, which are suitable in particular for veneering oxide ceramic restorations and metal restorations.