While there are still patients who want that flawless, flashy Hollywood smile, there are others who prefer a more natural look. These patients, with their discerning eyes and appreciation for artistry, want to keep their smiles authentic. For them, it’s about becoming a better version of themselves, not changing their smile completely.

For years, Glidewell has offered a monolithic restoration for patients seeking a bright, bold smile. BruxZir^® Zirconia has become one of the most popular solutions in restorative dentistry, serving as a go-to for everyday restorations. But monolithic zirconia has its limitations. It just doesn’t capture the subtle characteristics of natural teeth, leaving some patients wanting more.

Glidewell’s Fusion with BruxZir™ Zirconia fills that need. This modern bilayered restoration recreates nature perfectly, making it possible for clinicians to restore realism to smiles — at a price point that’s both dentist- and patient-friendly.

Unlike monolithic restorations, Fusion with BruxZir Zirconia joins zirconia to zirconia. The fused zirconias emulate the dentin-enamel relationship, creating the lifelike esthetics patients are after. Fusion with BruxZir Zirconia follows nature’s blueprint, with one layer of zirconia to mimic dentin and the other to mimic enamel. The combination of the two and the anatomically shaped core results in restorations that are virtually indistinguishable from natural teeth.

Glidewell has designed a modern bilayered restoration that mimics nature perfectly. The restoration combines everything that makes real teeth beautiful, including dentin-enamel layering, color gradation and lifelike translucency. Here, we take a closer look at this industry-changing restoration and what makes it so different from anything else on the market. 

1. The layers mimic natural teeth. We all know the limitations of monolithic zirconia. These restorations have a uniform color throughout and are missing the characterization you would find in a real tooth. Not the case with Fusion with BruxZir Zirconia. Its layers mimic natural teeth for a more realistic result. The anatomically shaped inner core features lobes and mamelons, while the translucent wraparound veneer is characterized with surface texture, including perikymata. The fused layers mimic the coalesced look of natural teeth. The anatomically shaped core establishes strength, color and depth, while the wraparound veneer lets light pass through incisal and interproximal surfaces. This all comes together to create the most natural looking anterior restoration Glidewell has ever offered. 

2. The layers are milled independently. With traditional bilayered restorations, one ceramic is typically pressed on or built-up over the substructure. Fusion with BruxZir layers are milled independently, allowing for more precision and repeatability. That means you have more control over the final result. And because the restoration is milled, both layers can be made from zirconia.

You’re probably familiar with the zirconias that combine to create Fusion with BruxZir restorations, as Glidewell has led the industry in advancing zirconia and is largely responsible for bringing it to the dental market in the first place. BruxZir Zirconia has been a staple in practices for years, but now Glidewell is offering patients a more natural looking option in Fusion with BruxZir Zirconia. To achieve it, the inner core is made from BruxZir Full-Strength Zirconia and the wraparound veneer from BruxZir Radiant Zirconia.

3. Glidewell knows zirconia. As the company behind the popular BruxZir Zirconia, Glidewell knows a thing or two about zirconia restorations. Glidewell has manufactured more than 35 million of these units, leveraging the knowledge gained over many years to improve milling strategies, materials science, automation and digital design. They’re also applying artificial intelligence (AI) to further enhance efficiencies.

Of course, BruxZir is a monolithic zirconia and is known for creating those bright, bold smiles. While still a great option, Glidewell saw a gap, and decided it was time to offer patients a zirconia to zirconia form factor that truly replicates nature with dimensional depth and a layered anatomy. Fusion does exactly that.

4. Clinicians have more control. While building the right structure is key to creating natural looking smiles, coloration and translucency matter as well — and they matter a lot. Fusion with BruxZir Zirconia shines. Because its bilayered, clinicians have two canvases to create their art. Both the internal and external layers can be designed independently before they’re milled and hand-characterized, giving clinicians more control.

5. Fabrication combines artistry with technology. Glidewell’s most experienced dental technicians have been moved to the Fusion with BruxZir production line, bringing a wealth of knowledge on classical ceramics, smile anatomy and restorative beauty with them. But, these days, most of the process is digitized, from scanning to designing to milling. Those experienced techs inform and supervise the process, bringing their artistry to each case while technology keeps the process repeatable and efficient.

6. Fusion with BruxZir Zirconia is affordable. While there are master ceramists trained to create beautiful, natural looking restorations with monolithic ceramics, most patients and dentists simply can’t afford boutique lab prices — and they shouldn’t have to. Fusion with BruxZir Zirconia offers the same level of artistry; and, because its precision-engineered, technology-powered process, Glidewell can offer these restorations at an affordable price point — just $199 per unit. 

When Glidewell introduced BruxZir Zirconia, it was meant to fill a very specific need. The vision was to create a restoration that would serve as the “people’s crown,” an affordable tooth-colored zirconia that performed like cast gold. Dentists embraced the solid ceramic and soon began relying on BruxZir Zirconia in place of cast crowns and PFMs.

However, while monolithic restorations can provide flawless, showstopping esthetics — the results are not quite natural-looking. That’s where Fusion with BruxZir restorations fill the void. These bilayered restorations mimic nature perfectly, providing realism for patients who want lifelike restorations. 

Fusion with BruxZir Zirconia was designed with authenticity in mind. These restorations replicate the structure of natural teeth and are the most lifelike restorations Glidewell has ever created.

Real smiles aren’t flawless, and there’s beauty in those imperfections. Real smiles are unmistakable. They’re authentic, and that’s what more and more patients want. Fusion with BruxZir Zirconia replicates nature, giving patients gorgeous restorations they’ll absolutely love at a price point they can afford.