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Zirconia and Ceramic Experts

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does Creation handle differently from other porcelains?

A: In order to achieve optimal results with Creation, it's necessary to follow some rules of thumb that will ensure a trouble-free and satisfying build-up process. When you adhere to the ‘10 Tips Every Creation User Should Follow’, the porcelain is a reliable, easy to use product.

Creation is "iridescent." What does this mean?

A: According to Willi Geller, when something is iridescent it reflects all colors of the spectrum. This phenomenon is evident when the sun shines on a drop of oil on a driveway. Natural teeth reflect all colors of the spectrum too. Because of its unique composition, Creation porcelain also reflects the colors of the rainbow which means your restorations will look vital and natural in the mouth.

Is Creation more expensive than other Porcelains?

A: Gram for gram, Creation is competitively priced. Especially when you consider what makes up the cost of a crown.

Does Creation work well in a "production" setting?

A: Yes, Creation was designed for those who spend a great deal of time on one unit as well as for those who produce many a day. The system was designed such that a unit can be fabricated using a simple 3-powder build-up. For more information on how Creation is incorporated into a large lab, please contact your Jensen Sales Consultant.

Who else is using Creation in my area?

A: Your Jensen Sales Consultant knows who's using Creation in your locale. Just give us a call and we'll provide the information you need.

Is Creation Silver sensitive?

A: Creation is not silver-sensitive and does not green when built on alloys that contain silver.

What types of Alloy can I use with Creation?

A: There is a wide variety of Jensen alloys that are compatible with Creation. Jensen also has a series of six Creation alloys that were developed specifically for this product. Call your Jensen Sales Consultant for details.

How accurate are the shades?

A: Nothing matches the Vita Lumin® shade guide more precisely than Creation porcelain. This saves time, money and eliminates frustration.

What makes the shade wheels so special?

A: Creation shade wheels are made by hand in Austria. While some manufacturers use plastic tabs to represent color, Creation's shade tabs are fabricated from the porcelain itself. This means your tabs will exactly match the bottled product.

What kind of support do you offer?

A: When you invest in Creation, you invest in a complete portfolio of goods and services. Not only will you procure outstanding porcelain, but the product itself is backed by a highly trained technical service staff and team of Sales Consultants who understand your business and take a personal interest in your satisfaction. Our Technical Department is on-hand 12 hours a day, 5 days a week to walk you through any issue that may arise.

What is Oral Design?

Oral Design is a group of some of the finest dental technicians in the world. These men and women were hand-picked by master ceramist Willi Geller. All of them are tops in their field and excellent educators.

Trouble Shooting (download)

Bubbles in the Porcelain - Be sure that you are not drying too rapidly. Paste opaques in particular require at least a 6-8 minute dry time.
- Lower your entry temperature. The suggested entry temperatures may be too high for some porcelain furnaces. An entry temperature of 500°C (932°F) may be more appropriate. View Creation Firing Chart
- Be sure that there are no indications of metal contamination or surface contamination. Review your finishing and cleaning steps.
- Check that your metal conditioning cycle is correct.
- Review your melting procedure and torch adjustment.
- If you are using a "gold coat" agent, be sure that you are using it properly and following all manufacturers’ recommendations.
Experiencing excessive shrinking - Porcelain that is too wet or under-condensed may shrink excessively. Vibrating is NOT recommended for Creation porcelain, but blotting is acceptable to control the moisture level throughout the build-up and to provide for proper condensation.
Porcelain is tearing - When paste opaques tear, be sure that you are not applying them too thickly. Always dilute paste opaques with Universal Liquid (NOT distilled water or Modeling Liquid).
- Check to see that there is an adequate (6-8 minute) dry time programmed, and that the entry temperature is not too high. (See Bubbling section)
- Although the Creation Modeling Liquid makes the porcelain easy to build, some technicians have found that diluting the liquid 50% with distilled water solved their tearing problems and did not negatively affect the way the porcelain handles.
Porcelain is lifting at the margin - Be sure that porcelain is not being dried too rapidly.
- Try brushing the finished build-up gently incisally to gingivally with a nearly dry brush. This technique helps "set" the margins.
- Do not brush out the inside of the coping with a WET brush - use a dry brush.
Difficulties with add-ons - Always break the glaze of the surface to be added to and ultrasonically clean the porcelain.
- Lightly wet the surface with Universal Liquid before adding porcelain. - Re-wet porcelain on the slab with distilled water or take out fresh porcelain and wet it with distilled water.
- Be sure that you are not drying too rapidly.
- In addition, interproximal areas can be condensed through moderate vibration and blotting.
Aesthetic Problems - Shades do not match - Be sure that the porcelain is properly fired. Underfired porcelain will often cause shades to look "too bright." - Creation Opacious Dentins, or OD's, are quite strong in both value and chroma. New users who are coming from more translucent porcelain (Synspar, Ceramco) may need to use a thinner layer of Opacious Dentin and consider "cutting it" 50:50 with regular dentin.
Lack of translucency - Be sure that the porcelain is properly fired. Underfiring can cause incisals to look "milky" or "too bright."
- Use enough enamels. Creation Dentins are quite intense compared to other dentin powders. This means that you can use a thinner dentin layer to achieve proper coverage, leaving more room for enamels. Consider cutting the dentin back further and carrying your incisal layer at least 2/3rds of the way to the gingival margin.
- If more translucency is desired then consider working a Translucent Incisal (TI) or overlay into your build-up.
- Inadequate vacuum can cause poor translucency. Check to see that your vacuum system is working properly.
Difficulty achieving proper glaze - Be sure that you are firing at the proper temperature. Natural glazing should be done 10°C (15°F) over the 1st dentin firing. When a glaze powder is used, the correct firing temperature is 10°C (15°F) below the 2nd dentin firing. View Creation Firing Chart
- Most technicians find that a 30 second to 1 minute hold time is necessary to achieve the proper glazed surface.
Shades are too bright due to inadequate room - Use the violet Opaque Modifier (up to 50% mixed with the shade) on the 2nd opaque layer. You can also use Ochre Opaque Modifier in the gingival area to give a chroma "boost."
- Apply a very thin layer of Opacious Dentin from the gingival margin up about 1mm. Consider using a higher chroma OD to maintain adequate chroma levels.
- Apply a thin layer of OD in the occlusal areas of posteriors to maintain chroma control. Consider modifying the OD with In Novas for extra chroma.
- Use a lower value incisal (S-59 instead of S-58) to help control the overall value.
Lack of depth or vitality - Be sure that the porcelain is properly fired.
- Consider using a Translucent Incisal (TI-4, CL-0) as an overlay to add the feeling of depth.
- Use Illusion.
Porcelain chips or cracks during grinding - This can be a sign of underfired porcelain.
- Inadequate vacuum can "weaken" the porcelain causing it to be more prone to this type of problem. Check to see that your vacuum system is working properly.<br/ - Be sure that the porcelain is being properly ground. Do not use extremely high speeds or pressures or grind for long periods of time as this can cause thermal shock.
Porcelain is cracking on the bench - Be sure that you are using an appropriate alloy/porcelain combination. Cracking in every case is a sign that something is wrong. Cracking only on the pontics of bridges or cases with metal occlusion may indicate that you need to change your cooling procedure. In general, delayed checking on bridges indicates the need for slow cooling while immediate checking indicates that faster cooling is appropriate.
- Check your framework design. Sharp edges, excessively thick areas of porcelain, and uneven porcelain thickness can all contribute to cracks even when a reliable porcelain/alloy combination is used. Be sure to build-up posterior cusps in metal when necessary to avoid thick porcelain in these high stress areas.
- If you are experiencing checking on non-precious alloys, be sure that you have properly increased your first opaque firing temperature.
Experiencing debonding at the metal/opaque junction - Oxide problem: Verify that the proper oxidation procedure is being used.
- Surface contamination can cause debonding. Verify finishing and cleaning procedures.
- Do not remove alloy oxides after degassing unless specifically instructed to do so. This procedure is not recommended for ANY Jensen alloys. The suggested conditioning procedure for each alloy has been found to produce the best bond.
Be sure that the opaque is properly fired. Underfired opaque can lead to bond failure.
If you are using a "gold coat" agent, be sure that you are following the manufacturer's specifications exactly regarding alloy compatibility, application, and firing. Improper use of these agents can be a direct cause of bond failure as well as porcelain bubbling.
Experiencing Intra-porcelain fractures - Check framework design to insure that the porcelain was properly supported.
- Check firing procedures and be sure that the porcelain is properly fired.
- Check for obvious causes of delamination such as improperly fused add-on or very wet incisal added to a very dry dentin cut-back.
Experiencing problems with veneers (refractory method) - Tearing and lifting problems:
- When building on refractory materials, mix porcelain only with distilled water.
- Program an adequate (6-8 min) dry time with an entry temperature of 500°C (932°F).
- Beware of drastic thickness variances. This can lead to pulling, tearing, and even checking.
- Checking Problems:
- Use an appropriate material. Refractories recommended for use with Creation Porcelain include GCera and Orbitvest (GC) and PLV High Expanding and V-Tec (Gresco). Incompatible refractories will cause checking problems.
- Do not slow cool cases built on refractory materials.
Difficulty achieving proper glaze - Be sure that you are firing at the proper temperature. Natural glazing should be done 10°C (15°F) over the 1st dentin firing. When a glaze powder is used, the correct firing temperature is 10°C (15°F) below the 2nd dentin firing. View Creation Firing Chart
Aesthetic problems - If the cases look "bright" or lack translucency it may be necessary to increase the firing temperatures. The amount of increase depends on the amount of refractory material being fired. An increase of 20°C (35°F) is a good place to start. Aesthetically, the porcelain should show the same vitality and surface finish when fired on refractory as it does when fired on metal.
- Use a thin layer of OD when masking dark dentition. Opaques (paste or powder) should never be used.
Problems with shoulder porcelains - If you are having trouble removing the shoulder from the die
- Be sure the die is sealed
- Use a good separating agent
- Pass the die under a hot muffle for a few seconds only until the surface of the porcelain looks dry (do not over-dry)
- Most technicians find that a 30 second to 1 minute hold time is necessary to achieve the proper glazed surface.
Excessive shrinkage - If the shoulder is looking "too bright" be sure that you are using the materials properly. Apply the opacious material (SP-27, 28, or 29) in a thin "bead" at the metal edge. Build the rest of the shoulder using the appropriate mixture of translucent materials. (Refer to page II/6 of the Creation Manual.)