Material meets tool: Dental Direkt and Komet Dental combine expertise
Dentistry and dental technology are becoming ever more efficient - and at the same time ever more demanding. Modern high-performance ceramics such as zirconium oxide enable restorations that were unthinkable just a few years ago. But what sounds like unlimited possibilities often turns out to be a complex equation with many unknowns.
The zirconium oxide paradox: It starts with great promises. High-performance ceramics such as zirconium oxide raise expectations of restorations with unprecedented esthetics and functionality. The possibilities seem limitless. But in everyday prosthetic practice, the picture is often different. The supposed simplicity gives way to a complex reality. "We have materials that are both high-strength and highly translucent, that integrate color and strength gradients and are suitable for practically any indication," explains Christina Voß, Head of Research & Development at Dental Direkt. But this versatility comes at a price: it requires a deep understanding of the entire process chain. For example, a modern hybrid zirconium oxide combines different yttrium components and degrees of translucency in one blank to enable better adaptation to individual requirements. Sounds clever - but it means that each individual work step must be coordinated with the material architecture. Any carelessness in the process chain, from design to post-processing, can jeopardize the result.
Zirconia: Good alone is not good enough
With zirconium oxide, it is no longer just about pure material quality, but also about mastering the entire process in everyday prosthetic and laboratory work. "Unsuitable tools or incorrect processing strategies can compromise the best material," says Dennis Diekmann, Product Manager for dental tools at Komet Dental. This realization is increasingly shaping the way we think and so the focus at IDS 2025 will also increasingly be on holistic solutions - away from pure product presentation. One example is Dental Direkt: the company is dedicating an entire stand area to application technology. Benjamin Mumos, application technician at the zirconium oxide specialist, explains: "We're not just showing our new zirconium oxide, but demonstrating live how to make full use of the possibilities."
IDS 2025: Experience application expertise live
What is interesting here is the practical approach. Experts from dental technology, science and application technology will demonstrate how even complex work can be carried out safely. From design and positioning in the blank to surface finishing - every step will be presented in a comprehensible manner. Questions from everyday practice and laboratory work will be addressed in discussion rounds and sources of error and how to avoid them will be discussed. And this will often be confirmed: The tricky questions that concern you are also relevant for many of your colleagues.
Material meets tool: networked thinking is the key
The example of Dental Direkt and Komet illustrates an exciting industry trend: networked thinking. Combining the expertise of material and tool specialists creates a comprehensive understanding of processes. "We have reached a point where we can only move forward together," summarizes Lisa Freiberg, Product Manager Zirconium Oxide, Dental Direkt. "In order to establish dental technology products and materials in everyday practice and laboratory work in the long term, we need to combine our own strengths with the skills of other companies." So the way forward lies in working together; sounds almost philosophical, but has a tangible background:the increasing complexity can only be mastered through cooperation. Just how serious both companies are about this can also be seen away from the IDS: In a tutorial video series, Dental Direkt and Komet show step by step what is important in zirconium oxide processing.
Change of perspective: more than the sum of the parts
When material experts and tool specialists share their knowledge, when science, laboratory and practice complement each other, the result is precisely the application expertise that makes the difference in everyday life. IDS 2025 will show where this development can lead. One thing is certain: the path to better restorations is not only about new materials, but above all about understanding the complexity and the right application expertise. This is the only way to resolve the zirconium oxide paradox.
Contact
Annett Kieschnick, freelance journalist, Berlin ak [at] annettkieschnick.de (ak[at]annettkieschnick[dot]de)
