Lithium Disilicate, Zirconia, Resin Matrix-Comparison

There are so many materials on the market when it comes to dental solutions. Today we are going to compare lithium disilicate, zirconia, and resin. What are their pros, cons, and indications? 

Pros:

Lithium Disilicate has a great reputation for esthetics. It is similar to natural teeth with no grey line around the margin. It also has the ability to bond and manipulate shades and translucency. It also has a big pro, it is very easy to mill, which can be delivered on the same day. As for zirconia, great biocompatibility, superior strength, durability, and excellent esthetics are its features. Making it a popular material when it comes to dental solutions. While lithium disilicate and zirconia have overall superior mechanical and esthetic properties, resin offers significant advantages related to its machinability and intra-oral reparability.

Cons:

Lithium disilicate's strength is lower than zirconia. So it is ideal for veneer, inlay&onlay, and crown. Zirconia is great for molars due to its high strength, which up to1300MPa. On the other hand, high strength might cause friction against opposing teeth. For resin, the hardness and strength are far lower than Lithium disilicate and zirconia. And the color is not as stable as zirconia and glass ceramic.

Indications:
Lithium disilicate indicates for veneer, onlay&inlay, crowns, and three-unit bridge. Zirconia is used for all cases. Resin can be used for veneer, onlay&inlay as well.

Thanks to the technology, CAD CAM material and software is constantly involving, dentists will be able to provide the patient with more accurate, strong dimensionally stable restorations.