VITA ENAMIC is a PICN (Polymer-Infiltrated Ceramic Network) material in which a ceramic network and a polymer network are inextricably intertwined. This results in dental restorations that look natural, are stable, and feel particularly similar to natural teeth due to their slight elasticity. In addition, more healthy tooth structure can often be preserved, contributing to a gentle and long-lasting restoration.

PICN stands for Polymer-Infiltrated Ceramic Network. This is a class of materials in which a porous ceramic network is infiltrated by a polymer network. This results in a dual, interconnected structure.

The term “hybrid ceramic” has become established but is vague. It is used to refer to both polymer-infiltrated ceramic networks and ceramic-particle-filled composite blocks, even though these two material classes differ significantly in structure.

In a PICN material such as VITA ENAMIC, the ceramic and polymer form two continuous, interpenetrating networks in a ratio of 86% to 14% by weight. In a composite block, by contrast, the ceramic is embedded as a filler in a polymer matrix and is not continuous. For this reason, we consistently use the term PICN and classify it as a separate material class.

VITA ENAMIC is suitable for a wide range of minimally invasive restorations—including veneers, inlays, onlays, partial crowns, table tops, posterior tooth rebuilds, implant crowns, and crowns in the anterior and posterior regions.

With a modulus of elasticity of approximately 30 GPa, PICN behaves more like natural teeth mechanically than many traditional ceramics. This can be particularly interesting for biomimetic restoration concepts, in which the restoration is intended to integrate as seamlessly as possible into the natural tooth structure.

At the same time, the PICN structure allows for veneers as thin as 0.2 mm. This enables healthy tooth structure to be largely preserved, which supports minimally invasive preparations.

VITA ENAMIC also offers practical advantages in the CAD/CAM workflow: After milling, the restorations can be finished and polished immediately. No firing, sintering, or crystallization process is required.

VITA ENAMIC is based on PICN (Polymer-Infiltrated Ceramic Network) technology, which combines a ceramic network with a polymer network. This distinguishes the material from traditional dental ceramics such as feldspar ceramics, glass ceramics, or lithium disilicate.

Yes, VITA ENAMIC is indicated for anterior and posterior crowns on implants. The hybrid ceramic combines the strength of a ceramic with a certain degree of elasticity thanks to its PICN network. This allows the material to absorb masticatory forces and behave in a way that is gentle on the opposing teeth.  However, clinical suitability always depends on the specific indication and must be assessed in accordance with the respective processing and cementation guidelines.

VITA ENAMIC can be processed directly without an additional firing step. This reduces the number of process steps, saves time, and enables efficient restorations—often in just one appointment.

VITA ENAMIC is based on PICN (Polymer-Infiltrated Ceramic Network) technology and was developed for efficient digital CAD/CAM workflows. The material can be machined with precision and enables thin-walled, minimally invasive restoration designs. Since neither a crystallization nor a sintering firing is required after CAM fabrication, restorations can be polished and placed immediately after grinding. This reduces the number of process steps and shortens production time.

The PICN structure also supports efficient CAM machining. Compared to traditional ceramic materials, the material’s inherent elasticity and lower brittleness allow for gentler machining with a reduced risk of edge chipping during the grinding process. Users also report less wear on grinding tools and fewer bur changes, which can offer additional cost-saving benefits in day-to-day laboratory and practice operations.

In addition, the integrated shade and translucency gradients of the MultiColor variants support an efficient aesthetic workflow with reduced customization effort.

After grinding, VITA ENAMIC is either polished directly or customized using light-curing characterization and glaze materials and then polymerized. No additional firing process is required.

VITA ENAMIC is designed for use in standard CAD/CAM systems.

VITA ENAMIC – SYSTEM SOLUTIONS*

VITA offers VITA ENAMIC with specific holder systems for the following CAD/CAM systems:

• CEREC/inLab (Dentsply Sirona)
• PlanMill 40/PlanMill 40S/PlanMill 50S (Planmeca)
• VITA ENAMIC – UNIVERSAL SOLUTIONS*
• Arum Dental (5x series)
• CORiTEC Series (imes-icore GmbH)
• Röders RXD Series (Röders GmbH)
• DGSHAPE DWX Series (DGSHAPE Corporation)
• CS 3000/CS3100 (Carestream Dental, Inc.)
• Zfx Inhouse5x (Zfx GmbH)
• Milling UNIT M Series (Zirkondioxidzahn S.r.l.)
• N4/R5/S1/S2/Z4 (vhf camfacture AG)
• Organical Desktop Series (R+K CAD/CAM Technologie GmbH)
• DMG ULTRASONIC Series (DMG Mori AG)
• UP3D (Modelle: P42, P53, P55D) 
• MB Maschinen / orangedental (Modelle: Easymill 4, Easymill 5)
• Dental Machine / Tecno Ganz (Modelle: Vector, Axymat) 
   

*) Notes: The range of variants, geometries, and colors available for VITA CAD/CAM materials may vary depending on the individual CAD/CAM system partner or system. Please contact the respective CAD/CAM system partners for the applicable hardware and software requirements.

According to Oudkerk et al. (2025), survival rates of up to 98.4% after 9 years have been reported for PICN materials such as VITA ENAMIC.

The PICN research visualization summarizes these and other long-term clinical data. In addition, it describes high aesthetic stability and material properties that are gentle on opposing teeth.