Tiếng Việt
In dentistry, troubleshooting and risk prevention have always gone hand in hand. Every dental technician and clinician has faced those uncomfortable moments of self-questioning:
Why did this restoration crack? Why did the patient return after only a few months? Was it the material, the technique, or the design?
Such reflections are completely normal — they show professional responsibility and a genuine drive for improvement. However, there is a major difference between troubleshooting and prevention: one is a reaction after problems arise, while the other is a proactive effort to minimize the chance of those problems ever occurring.
And if given the choice, who would want to be in the position of “putting out fires” once the damage is already done?
So, how can we minimize these risks from the start?
The answer lies in something both simple and fundamental — yet often overlooked: choose the right materials — materials that are clinically proven and trusted.
1. Prevention Starts with Choosing the Right Material
In clinical dentistry, nothing is ever 100% certain. However, we can significantly enhance safety and reliability by using materials that have stood the test of time.
This may sound obvious, but in practice, many professionals unknowingly place their trust in “new releases,” “budget-friendly options,” or “heavily advertised products” without sufficient scientific evidence to prove their long-term effectiveness.
Today’s dental material market is expanding at lightning speed: countless new ceramics, alloys, cements, adhesives, and processing technologies appear every year. Each manufacturer promotes their own system with appealing marketing and promises of “technological breakthroughs.”
As a result, many dentists and technicians find themselves lost in a “jungle of materials” — overwhelmed, disoriented, and uncertain which direction to take.
Some choose to experiment: “Let’s just try it out — we can always adjust later.”
But in reality, experimenting on patients is never a small risk. Even minor mistakes in material selection can lead to fractures, debonding, color mismatch, or restoration failure — followed by patient dissatisfaction, wasted time and effort, financial loss, and even professional reputation damage.
Therefore, choosing clinically proven materials, built on solid scientific research and trusted by the global dental community, is the first and most essential step in any risk-prevention strategy.
2. Why Are “Proven” Materials So Important?
A dental material earns the title clinically proven not just because it has been around for a long time, but because it has undergone thorough testing, long-term clinical evaluation, and transparent publication of real-world results.
The key factors that define material reliability include:
- Scientific research: Laboratory studies measuring flexural strength, wear resistance, biocompatibility, and color stability.
- Long-term clinical data: Real-world reports from tens of thousands of restorations, monitored over 5, 10, or even 15 years.
- Consistent performance: Proven success rates and survival rates under daily functional stress.
- System integration: Not only the restorative material itself (such as ceramic blocks), but also compatible cements, stains, glaze materials, pressing or CAD/CAM workflows — all optimized to deliver consistent outcomes.
Materials that meet these criteria enable both dentists and technicians to work with greater confidence, reduce complications, save adjustment time, and, most importantly, ensure long-term patient satisfaction.
3. When Quality Is the Ultimate Winner
In the long run, true quality is the only factor that ensures lasting success.
While low-cost or newly launched materials may attract attention with affordability or flashy marketing, real-world experience quickly separates the reliable from the risky. Just a few clinical failures are often enough to send professionals back to trusted brands.
As practitioners, we all understand that:
“A successful restoration is not just beautiful at delivery — it must remain durable and stable for years to come.”
That enduring success builds the reputation of both the dental lab and the clinician — and fosters patient loyalty that no marketing can buy.
4. IPS e.max – The Evidence-Based All-Ceramic System
When it comes to all-ceramic materials with a clearly proven record of success, IPS e.max is consistently among the top choices worldwide.
It’s not a single product, but a comprehensive system combining two advanced material technologies:
- Lithium disilicate glass-ceramic (IPS e.max Press / CAD) – renowned for its translucency, natural esthetics, and high strength (~500 MPa).
- Zirconium oxide (IPS e.max ZirCAD) – offering exceptional strength and reliability, ideal for long-span bridges or posterior restorations.
What truly sets e.max apart is that
the entire system has been developed based on scientific data, clinical evidence, and decades of real-world experience.
To date, IPS e.max has achieved:
- Over 20 years of clinical experience
- More than 230 million restorations placed worldwide
- An average survival rate of 99.6% – an outstanding figure achieved by very few all-ceramic materials
These numbers come not only from manufacturer reports but also from independent studies published in reputable international dental journals.
