Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Prerequisite: Completion of DT 270 and DT 204 with a grade of C or better, or have instructor approval.

• Describe the purposes, uses, design considerations and techniques of using ceramics in dentistry.
• Explain the sequence of steps in designing and fabricating crowns and bridgework with ceramic components.

• Weekly quizzes.
• Three written exams.
• Term paper 4. Attendance

• Veneer materials
• History of dental ceramics
• Understructure design
• Space requirements
• Design techniques
• Metal cleaning and conditioning
• Porcelain application procedures
• Building tooth anatomy into the restoration
• Bridge building procedures
• Visual perception of tooth contour
• Color: Matching tooth shades
• Color measurement
• Influence of light
• Surface texture
• Adjustments of color and creating illusions
• Characterization
• Porcelain jackets
• All Ceramic Crowns
• High strength veneering porcelains
• Specialized bridge techniques
• Attachments and semi-rigid connectors
• Trouble-shooting

Skills and competencies:
 

• Describe the chemistry, physical properties, uses in dentistry and advantages/disadvantages of ceramics.
• Define and discuss porcelain as a type of ceramic.
• Explain the purposes and uses of porcelain and resin veneer understructures in preparation for future lab projects.
• Describe the process by which porcelain is fused to metal.
• Identify the component parts of a porcelain oven and demonstrate the safe operation of the oven in the laboratory setting.
• Describe and demonstrate the techniques used to apply porcelain to a metal framework.
• Describe the philosophy and process of modifying porcelain shades, tones and color to create aesthetically pleasing and   individualized crowns.
• Discuss post-firing (pre-glaze) procedures for the complete porcelain crown fabrication.
• Describe, discuss and compare PFMs, all ceramic crowns and porcelain jacket crowns according to aesthetics, marginal integrity, brand differences, tooth preparation, strength and life expectancy.
• Discuss alternative bridge design as compared to standard bridge design.
• Describe and discuss the philosophy and purpose of Maryland, California and Virginia Bridge types according to preservation of tooth structure, reduction in time and cost, and reversibility of the procedure.