PORCELAIN

Porcelain is considered by many to be without peer as a material for restoring the crowns of
anterior teeth, and also for the portions of bridge pontics which contact the gingival tissue.
Highly glazed porcelain is probably more compatible with oral tissue than any other dental
material and is also one of the most esthetic in appearance.
Composition and Characteristics of Porcelain
Dental porcelain is made up of several forms of silica, notably kaolin (aluminum silicate) and
feldspar (potasssius aluminum silicate) along with certain binders and pigments or colouring
agents. he porcelain powder is combined with distilled water to a puttilike consistency which is
applied to the platinum matri!.
"hen the matri! with its veneer of porcelain is fired in the furnace at a prescribed temperature, a
reaction occurs which fuses it into a very hard mass. # notable characteristic of porcelain is the
fact that it shrinks as much as $% per cent of its volume when it is &fired' in the furnace. (nless
this shrinkage is compensated for in the techni)ue, the restoration may be short at the margins
and there may be air spaces of voids in the fused porcelain. his is one reason it is built up to
contour gradually and fired several times in the process. *ood techni)ue re)uires that the
porcelain remains wet during its manipulation, but after it has been applied to the matri! as much
water as possible must be removed to insure a hard dense porcelain free from voids.
o further remove moisture, the matri! with newly applied porcelain is allowed to set in front of
the oven for a few minutes before it is placed in the oven.
#nother characteristic of porcelain is that it tends to crack or craze if it is sub+ected to a sedden
temperature change. ,or this reason it is never removed directly from the oven and cooled to
room temperature. -nstead the oven is cooled down to appro!imately .%%% degrees , at which
point the crown is removed and coled under a pyre! dish. his markedly slows the rate of
cooling and minimizes the possibility of crazing.
Types of Dental Porcelain.
Porcelain is classified as low, medium, or high fusing based on the temperature re)uired to fuse it
. /ow fusing (.0%%12%%% degrees ,) is used mainly for building up contacts and modifying the
contours of porcelain pontics which have previously been completely fused. 3edium fusing
porcelain which fuses ebtween 2%%% and 2$%% ,, and high fusing porcelain above 2$%% degrees ,
are both used for the fabrication of crowns, inlays and bridges.4ecause of the high temperature
re)uired to fuse porcelain a special oven with e!tremely accurate temperature controls is
re)uired.
Porcelain Glaze.
"hen porcelain is brought up to its fusing temperature it ac)uires a glazed translucent surface.
his highly glazed surface is often lost when a porcelain tooth or facing must be ground. "hen
this happens the original highly glazed surface can be restored with a specially manufactured
glaze, which is made for this specific purpose. he glaze is painted on with a brush, vibrated to
eliminate the brush marks, and fired at the temperature recommended by the manufacturer.
Porcelain tains.
5pecial stains are marketed which can be used to produce lifelike stains in porcelain crown. hey
are available in a wide range of colours, from opa)ue to black. he powders are blended with
li)uids provided by the manufacturer to produce the desired effect. his is painted on the crown
after its third or final bake, and fired in the furnace at the recommended temperature.