July Clinician's Choice Onsert - 18

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
INNOVATIVE SOLUTION
Ask the Expert: An Interview with
Dean Vafiadis, DDS on Adjusting and
Polishing Zirconia Restorations
Q
A
Dean Vafiadis
DDS
Dr. Dean Vafiadis received
his dental degree and
Prosthodontic specialty
training at New York
University College of
Dentistry. He is the
Director of the Full-Mouth
Rehabilitation CE course at
NYU and is an Associate
Professor of Prosthodontics
at NYU College of Dentistry.
Dr. Vafiadis publishes
and lectures on various
topics such as aesthetics,
implant designs, computer
restorations, ceramic
materials and occlusion. He
is the founder of New York
Smile Institute in NY, an
educational center,
full-service laboratory and
learning facility as well as a
private practice location for
a multi-specialty practice
for Implant and Aesthetic
Dentistry. Dr. Vafiadis'
primary professional
mission is to educate,
publish, and invent new
technologies that will
help change the dental
profession and patient's
lives. He is a member of the
ACP, AAED, AO, AAID, ICOI,
AACD and the ADA.
How are you currently
polishing your zirconia
restorations post-adjustment?
I have always used a red-stripe or fine diamond
bur to adjust my ceramic and zirconia
restorations; however, it has been a big
challenge to find a polishing system to remove
the bur marks left on the restoration and reproduce the
lab-like luster. Up until now, I couldn't find a polishing
system to do this. I still use a fine diamond for my
contact and re-contouring adjustments but now use the
A.S.A.P. Indirect+ Polishing System (Clinician's Choice)
to bring the adjusted surface back to a high gloss. It is a
fast and simplified 2-step polishing system that brings
the modified zirconia surface back to its high gloss.
A.S.A.P. Indirect+ can be used both intra-orally and
extra-orally, pre- and post-cementation and is capable
of minor adjustments when you use the coarse adjusters
that come with the kit, but they are also very effective
in removing the scratches left behind after adjustments
made with the fine diamond bur.
Q
A
Q
A
How much chairtime does it
typically take for you to make
adjustments to your zirconia
restorations?
Adjusting zirconia is so much faster now.
Evaluating and adjusting proximal contacts
and occlusion has always been very
straightforward. The time-consuming part was
progressing through various polishing steps to get the
high shine back to the adjusted surfaces. The A.S.A.P.
Indirect+ system is a 2-step polishing system, but the kit
includes coarse adjusters that I have incorporated into
my polishing regimen to remove bur scratches. Now my
adjustment/polishing of zirconia takes anywhere from
2-4 minutes, and the result is exactly what I want.
Are you finding A.S.A.P.
Indirect+ Adjusters and
Polishers durable during
use as well as after multiple
sterilizations?
My experience with the A.S.A.P. Indirect+ system
is that I do not need to replace any component
very often at all. I am polishing at least 30
zirconia crowns before I have to replace these polishers as
the polishers are wearing at a very slow rate and are not
breaking down with the numerous sterilizations.
18 SUMMER 2023 | CLINICAL LIFE | clinicianschoice.com
FIG. 3
FIG. 2
Intraoral Disc
Coarse Adjuster
Use disc, point or cylinder
shape adjusters to make
minor adjustments or
remove scratches caused
by diamond bur.
FIG. 1
Q
A
Can you take us through a
typical zirconia restoration
chairside adjustment?
Whether it is a proximal contact or occlusal
interference, I use a fine diamond bur in a
high-speed handpiece to make the adjustment
extra-orally, maintaining a speed at about
20,000 RPMs. (FIG. 1) Once I am satisfied with the
modification, I use the disc-shaped gray adjuster from
the A.S.A.P. Indirect+ kit to remove the scratches left
from the diamond bur. I use light pressure with this
for 10 seconds and without water. (FIG.2-3) The blue
pre-polisher is applied with relatively heavy pressure
for about 20 seconds, followed by the pink final
polisher with light pressure (without water spray) for
10 seconds at approximately 1,700 RPMs. (FIG. 4-5)
I follow these zirconia adjustments with a wet
Robinson brush over the adjusted surface.
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July Clinician's Choice Onsert

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