There are a few companies in our industry that have changed the face of dentistry. One of those is celebrating its 100th birthday and its deep, rich, innovative history this year. From developing cements in mixable capsules in the 1960s to their digital game-changers on the market now, Ivoclar is a giant of dentistry and I don’t know where dentistry would be without them!
Starting in Europe, Ivoclar focused for the first few decades of their portfolio on basics such as cements and amalgam. This continued until the 1980s, when Ivoclar ventured into the world of precious metals and gold. That was the dentistry of the 1960s through the 1980s.
You might also be interested in:
VivaStyle Professional Whitening by Ivoclar
Ivotion Denture System by Ivoclar
But the 1990s is when Ivoclar began to disrupt. That’s when IPS Empress hit the market and started to revolutionize esthetic dentistry, from the world of stacked feldspathic porcelain to pressed ceramics. This one innovation lay the foundation for the next 30 years of esthetics!
The 2000s is where Ivoclar really changed the game. That was the decade that saw the introduction of a lithium disilicate glass ceramic system called IPS e.max. This became the benchmark for esthetic porcelain restorations that remains today.
As we entered into the 2010s and our current decade, Ivoclar has dedicated much focus to digital dentistry to complement the IPS e.max system. The PrograMill system, VivaScan digital impressioning, and the Ivotion digital denture puck are all innovations in digital meant to bring more workflows to more dentists and patients.
Of course, digital is not Ivoclar’s only focus. They’ve also innovated in the direct restorative world just as much as the digital wo>rld. The Adhese VivaPen is a phenomenal bonding agent in a great delivery system that prevents waste and evaporation. Tetric PowerFill and Tetric PowerFlow, along with the Bluephase PowerCure, is one of the best bulk-fill composite systems on the market, allowing for 4 mm increments to be cured in three seconds. The efficiency of that system for posterior direct composites is second to none.
Tetric Prime, which debuted a few years ago, is a beautiful, esthetic composite that can be as simple or complex as you want, or as a case indicates. Even Tetric EvoFlow is a material I use every day. In the Trans shade, it is the perfect material for Invisalign attachments.
Ivoclar has been changing the face of dentistry for a century. From direct restorations to indirect restorations, digital dental technology, and everything in between, Ivoclar has touched millions of lives. I am hopeful and eager to see what innovations Ivoclar brings to their next 100 years in dentistry. Homerun to center field for Ivoclar.
