The correct tooth shade directly from the press furnace: A case report from a fellow dental technician

The dental technician Thanasis Kalogeropoulos runs a small laboratory in the center of the Greek capital city, Athens. When he looks out of the window, he sees the ancient mountain range, Hymettos.

Thanasis Kalogeropoulos is a motivated dental technician who loves research and development, constantly re-evaluating himself and his work so that he can become better every day: “I am the kind of person who loves trying new approaches. Dental technology requires an obsession to detail. As far as I am concerned, the craft of dental technology is an art form where I create something with my hands. I love this job”. That is how Thanasis Kalogeropoulos describes the passion that he brings to his work, every day. After his apprenticeship, his career path immediately led him to establish his own business. He has been running his own laboratory now for 16 years.

Press technology has played a role for him, right from the start. “At the time, metal ceramics were still very much in demand, so I wasn’t sure whether pressed all-ceramics made from lithium disilicate would prevail. Yet, the demand continued to grow every year,” says the dental technician. However, despite successful outcomes, there were still some cases where he wasn’t happy with the result. There were pellets, for example, where the shade after pressing did not precisely match the tooth shades of the shade guide, and restorations with a lifeless appearance. In addition, Thanasis Kalogeropoulos was unhappy with the reaction layer.

He embarked on a search and tested alternative press ceramics. The new generations of press ceramics became more translucent with time, and offered high opalescence. Moreover, many ceramics demonstrated exact, precise edges after pressing. This was already quite promising. However, through 2019, his opinion was as follows: “No ceramic was able to impress me enough for me to seriously consider swapping my tried-and-tested ceramic for something new.” In 2020, he was finally able to test the VITA AMBRIA lithium disilicate press ceramic at VITA Zahnfabrik headquarters in Southern Germany, before the official product launch. He was curious, and wanted to know what this press ceramic could do. So, he traveled from Greece to Germany. There he found what he had spent years searching for.

Already the first press results with VITA AMBRIA convinced him: “I found it simply incredible that this ceramic has almost no reaction layer! The shades of the pellet are adapted precisely to the VITA shade guide. With this press ceramic, the pressed tooth shade is exactly right,” says the dental technician, delighted. As the zirconia-reinforced press ceramic offers high fracture strength, good clinical reliability can also be expected in the long-term. The high strength gives Thanasis Kalogeropoulos the confidence to rely on this glass ceramic without compromise.

On his return to Athens, he got to work right away. He recalibrated his furnace so that he could press the first crowns and veneers using the VITA AMBRIA press ceramic. “Here, five degrees more or less really does make a big difference. I ran two or three tests until I found the ideal temperature setting,” he says, describing how he started. Overall, the start with the VITA press material went smoothly. “The VITA press ceramic impressed me right away, particularly with anterior restorations. VITA AMBRIA restorations already have a very natural appearance directly after pressing and sandblasting; in other words, without any glazing or staining,” says Kalogeropoulos. Even in demanding anterior cases, he can achieve highly esthetic results with just a limited incisal cut-back and a little enamel material.

Now he only uses his other press ceramic, tried-and-tested over many years, for restorations that require greater masking. His experience with this ceramic has been the most positive when it comes to strongly discolored preparations. However, the journey is just beginning for this problem solver. With every new case, he gains more experience with the VITA press material, always aiming for even better esthetics in his restorations.

“Initially, I tested the VITA AMBRIA ceramic purely out of curiosity. I didn’t see any need at all to use a different press ceramic,” says Kalogeropoulos, looking back. Today, he is glad that his curiosity motivated him to try something new. He says: “As a dental technician, I want to be a bit better day by day . In many cases, the VITA press ceramic helps me achieve more esthetic and more precise results, with relatively little effort.”