Materials in CAD

Zirconia, lithium disilicate, PFM, metal — thickness rules change the sculpt.

Objectives

Give a minimum thickness for monolithic zirconia vs. lithium disilicate.
Explain why a PFM wants a shoulder on the facial.
State that a mill bur has a diameter.

Thickness is a material

These are real restorations — not library morphs. The mill and the lute both change with the ceramic.

Full-contour zirconia. One material, one mill — no porcelain layer to chip. Opaque compared with glass.

Finish line: Chamfer

Seat: RMGI lute or MDP resin. No HF. No silane.

Read this

Thickness is a material property

Monolithic zirconia can live at ~0.8–1.0 mm in some systems; lithium disilicate wants more like 1.0–1.5 mm occlusal. The CAD thickness map is not optional coloring. Red means the restoration will crack or the mill will skip.

The bur is not a vertex

A 1 mm bur cannot mill a 0.2 mm fissure. Deep carved anatomy looks stunning on screen and comes out of the mill as a smoothed suggestion. Design to the tool.

Open the practice lab

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