Patent ID: 8042358

Claim:
A process for manufacturing a lithium silicate restoration comprising preparing a lithium silicate blank which comprises: (a) producing a melt of a starting glass containing the initial components SiO 2 , Li 2 O, and P 2 O 5 or other nucleation agent as the main components; (b) pouring the melt of the starting glass into a mould to form a starting glass blank and cooling the glass blank to room temperature; (c) subjecting the starting glass blank to a first heat treatment at a first temperature to give a glass product which contains nuclei suitable for forming lithium metasilicate crystals; or (b′) pouring the melt of the starting glass into a mould to form a starting glass blank and cooling the glass blank to a first temperature; (c′) holding the starting glass blank at the first temperature to give a glass product which contains nuclei suitable for forming lithium metasilicate crystals; (d) subjecting the glass product of step (c) or (c′) to a second heat treatment at a second temperature which is higher than the first temperature to obtain the lithium silicate blank with lithium metasilicate crystals as the main crystalline phase; (e) cooling the lithium silicate blank having the lithium metasilicate crystals as the main crystalline phase; and (f) shaping the cooled lithium silicate blank with lithium metasilicate crystals as the main crystalline phase into the shape of a dental restoration.