Ivoclar launched IPS e.max Zirconia in May 2026, a disc that combines two yttria-stabilised zirconia powders, 4Y-PSZ and 5Y-PSZ, in the same blank. According to the manufacturer's product page (accessed 23 October 2026), the stated flexural strength is 1200 MPa in the dentin zone and 800 MPa in the incisal zone, with a fast sintering cycle of 0:58 h for a single crown or a 3-unit bridge. The disc covers, according to Ivoclar, the full spectrum of ceramic restorations, from a 0.5 mm veneer to a full-arch bridge.
What is IPS e.max Zirconia and how does it differ from a classic multilayer zirconia disc?
Most multilayer discs on the market, including multilayer zirconia discs such as those distributed by Dentev, achieve their shade and translucency gradient through graded colouring applied to a single zirconia composition before sintering. IPS e.max Zirconia changes that principle: according to Ivoclar's product page (accessed 23 October 2026), the disc juxtaposes two zirconia compositions within the same blank, a 4Y-PSZ in the dentin zone and a 5Y-PSZ in the incisal zone, to combine the mechanical strength needed in depth with the translucency needed at the surface. Ivoclar calls this approach GTx Technology. It rests on four coordinated steps: specific pre-treatment of the two powders, shade matching carried out in-house by the manufacturer rather than by the lab, a proprietary mould-filling process designed to avoid any visible seam between the two zirconias, and a two-stage pressing step meant to reduce porosity at the interface.
Why did Ivoclar involve dental technicians in development?
According to Dental Tribune (20 May 2026), around 40 dental technicians from several countries took part in the product's development from its early stages, a choice Ivoclar presents as intended to fit the material to real fabrication constraints rather than to a purely marketing brief. The same article reports a fatigue test run on a chewing simulator: the material reportedly withstood two million cycles under a 550 N load with no fracture reported by the manufacturer. These figures remain manufacturer laboratory values; no long-term clinical data has yet been published for a disc launched five months ago.
What sintering times does the manufacturer state?
According to Ivoclar, the fast sintering cycle takes 0:58 h for a single crown or a 3-unit bridge, and 2:57 h for larger restorations, up to full-arch bridges and full-arch cases. These times assume a compatible fast-sintering furnace and the preliminary drying step at 80°C for 15 minutes in a drying cabinet before firing, a step common to most accelerated-sintering zirconias. A lab considering this material for that reason should first check that its own furnace reaches the heating rate the cycle requires; otherwise, the manufacturer's stated times are not achievable as published.
Which restorations does this disc cover, from veneers to full-arch bridges?
According to Ivoclar, the disc covers single crowns, 3-unit bridges, multi-unit bridges with up to two connected pontics, implant-supported structures, and full-arch work. It also goes down to veneers, with a stated minimum thickness of 0.5 mm in its thinnest zone. This range of indications in a single disc and a single shade reference is Ivoclar's central selling point: a lab would no longer need to switch material depending on the restoration type, which simplifies managing disc stock by shade and thickness.
What shade range does the disc offer and which ceramic does it pair with?
The disc is available in 20 shades, according to Ivoclar, covering A to D shades and four bleach (BL) shades, with dedicated colouring liquids for fine shade adjustment. The manufacturer states compatibility with its IPS e.max Ceram Art layering ceramic, for cases that call for a layered ceramic finish rather than a simply stained and glazed monolithic restoration.
What does this change for a lab that already works with multilayer zirconia?
For a lab already equipped with multilayer zirconia discs, such as the UT-Multi disc distributed by Dentev for veneers, inlays and anterior crowns, this new product changes nothing in the workflow itself: the same milling on a 5-axis mill, the same layered design logic in exocad or 3Shape, the same sintering step in a compatible furnace. What changes is the physical principle behind the shade gradient, a juxtaposition of two different zirconia compositions instead of a colouring gradient on a single zirconia. Before switching to this type of disc, a lab should compare its current manufacturer's technical sheet with Ivoclar's on the points with immediate practical impact: sintering temperature and cycle duration, minimum thickness per indication, and compatibility with the material library already set up in the lab's software. A dual-powder disc also changes how a lab plans its stock: instead of ordering one blank per shade along a single zirconia line, it orders one blank per shade along a line where the dentin and incisal zones come from two powders fused at the manufacturing stage, a balance the lab cannot adjust itself after purchase.
- Flexural strength, dentin zone (4Y-PSZ): 1200 MPa (Ivoclar, IPS e.max Zirconia product page, accessed 23 October 2026)
- Flexural strength, incisal zone (5Y-PSZ): 800 MPa (Ivoclar, same)
- Fast sintering, single crown to 3-unit bridge: 0:58 h (Ivoclar, same)
- Sintering, full-arch bridge and full-arch work: 2:57 h (Ivoclar, same)
- Chewing cycles tested in simulator: 2 million under a 550 N load (Dental Tribune, 20 May 2026)
- Dental technicians involved in development: around 40, several countries (Dental Tribune, 20 May 2026)
- Shades available: 20 (A to D and 4 BL shades) (Ivoclar, same)
- Stated minimum thickness, veneer: 0.5 mm (Ivoclar, same)
Sources
Ivoclar, "IPS e.max Zirconia" product page, ivoclar.com/en_us/products/digital-processes/ips-e.max-zirconia, accessed 23 October 2026.
Dental Tribune International, "New IPS e.max Zirconia developed in collaboration with dental technicians," dental-tribune.com, 20 May 2026.
