What Ceramill Zolid is
Ceramill Zolid is the zirconia range of Amann Girrbach, a dental CAD/CAM manufacturer based in Mäder, Austria, where the company keeps all of its development and production; the Zolid blanks are made there. The range covers 3Y, 4Y and 5Y zirconia, so it spans the whole trade-off between strength and translucency that the different zirconia generations represent (see 3Y-TZP vs 5Y-PSZ zirconia for the background).
The current Zolid processing guide (document 976109, July 2026) lists these lines:
| Line | Type and translucency | Flexural strength |
|---|
| Zolid Bion | 4Y and 5Y multilayer, 45–49% | 1,100 MPa |
| Zolid FX Multilayer | 5Y multilayer, 49% | 700 MPa |
| Zolid Lunaris | 3Y and 4Y multilayer, 46% | 1,000 MPa |
| Zolid Gen-X | 4Y multilayer, 45% | 1,000 MPa |
| Zolid HT+ Preshades | 4Y preshaded, 45% | 1,000 MPa |
| Zolid HT+ White | 4Y white, 45% | 1,100 MPa |
| Zolid DRS | 4Y multilayer, 45% | 1,100 MPa |
| Ceramill Zi | 3Y white, 35% | 1,200 MPa |
Zolid Lunaris is the newest line; Amann Girrbach presents it as the successor to Zolid Gen-X, with more chroma in the A–D shades. Zolid DRS is a high-speed zirconia meant mainly for single-visit work in the dental practice. Ceramill Zi is the opaque, high-strength member used for frameworks.
Which line for which restoration
Amann Girrbach publishes a chart that maps each line to design options and restoration types. In short:
- Zolid Bion and Zolid Lunaris are marked for everything in the chart: monolithic, cut-back and framework designs; veneers, inlays and onlays, single crowns, three-unit and multi-unit bridges, and abutments.
- Zolid FX Multilayer covers veneers, inlays and onlays, crowns, three-unit bridges and abutments, but not longer bridges.
- Zolid Gen-X covers inlays and onlays, crowns, three-unit and multi-unit bridges and abutments; veneers are not marked.
- Zolid HT+ Preshades and HT+ White are marked for cut-back and framework designs, for crowns, bridges of any length and abutments.
- Ceramill Zi is marked for frameworks only, which are then layered.
- Zolid DRS covers monolithic and cut-back crowns, inlays and onlays, three-unit bridges and abutments.
The stump shade matters as much as the restoration type. The same chart shows the highly translucent FX Multilayer working best on light preparations and losing suitability as the stump gets darker, while the opaque Ceramill Zi stays suitable over discolored teeth and metal. Amann Girrbach notes that its Zolid Naturals Opacifier lets a translucent line such as FX Multilayer be used on a discolored stump, so a dark preparation does not automatically rule out the more esthetic lines.
Shades: Bion and Lunaris come in 16 VITA classical shades plus five bleach shades (BL0 to BL4); Gen-X and DRS in 16 VITA shades plus BL1 and BL3; FX Multilayer and HT+ Preshades in 16 VITA shades plus bleach; HT+ White and Ceramill Zi are white and are colored with liquids before sintering.
Strength and how it was measured
The strength values in the processing guide are mean values of a three-point bending test according to DIN EN ISO 6872, measured by Amann Girrbach’s own research and development department. On its product pages the company states most of them with a spread of ±150 MPa, for example 1,000 ± 150 MPa for Zolid Gen-X and 700 ± 150 MPa for Zolid FX Multilayer. For Zolid Bion it adds that the material reaches the Class 5 minimum of ISO 6872 across the whole blank, including the more translucent incisal layer.
Three-point bending values are not directly comparable with the biaxial values that some other manufacturers quote, so please compare Zolid with other zirconia only within the same test method. The practical reading is simple: FX Multilayer, at about 700 MPa, is an esthetic material for small restorations, and the lines at 1,000 MPa and above carry the long-span bridges.
Zolid lines also appear in independent studies. An in-vitro study compared the optical properties of laminate veneers made from Zolid FX, KATANA UTML and lithium disilicate (Frontiers in Dentistry, 2019). Another measured wear and fracture load of multilayer 4Y-TZP crowns made from Zolid Gen-X with conventional sintering and from a high-speed Zolid material, at three wall thicknesses and after thermomechanical aging (Clinical Oral Investigations, 2022).
Wall thickness, connectors and design
The processing guide gives minimum wall thickness (incisal or occlusal / circular) and connector cross-sections that are mandatory for Zolid restorations:
| Situation | Anterior | Posterior |
|---|
| Single crown, any line | 0.5 / 0.5 mm | 0.5 / 0.5 mm |
| Three-unit bridge, one pontic | 0.5 / 0.5 mm; connector over 12 mm² (FX), over 7 mm² (HT+ group, Ceramill Zi) | 0.7 / 0.5 mm; connector over 12 mm² (FX), over 9 mm² (HT+ group, Ceramill Zi) |
| Four units or more, up to two pontics | 0.7 / 0.5 mm; connector over 9 mm² | 1.0 / 0.7 mm; connector over 12 mm² |
| Four units or more, three pontics | 0.7 / 0.5 mm; connector over 9 mm² | not listed |
| Cantilever with one pontic | not listed | 1.0 / 0.7 mm; connector over 12 mm² |
The “HT+ group” here means Zolid HT+, HT+ Preshades, Gen-X, DRS, Bion and Lunaris. Bridges of four units or more are allowed up to 14 units for the HT+ group and Ceramill Zi, with Zolid DRS excluded. Zolid FX Multilayer is limited to three-unit bridges.
If the scan shows less room than these values, our CAD team flags it before milling and suggests either a preparation change or a stronger line. We design connectors as symmetrical as the anatomy allows, which the guide also recommends.
Sintering and cementation
Amann Girrbach requires a sintering support structure for bridges of more than nine units and for strongly curved bridges such as anterior bridges, even when they are shorter, to avoid distortion and fit problems. We follow this for every long-span Zolid case. The guide also lists separate sintering programs per line, including high-speed programs that apply only to certain lines and furnaces; the program determines the final translucency and shade, so it is not changed to save time.
Zirconia is not etched like glass-ceramics. Amann Girrbach covers preparation and cementation in a separate clinical guide that we could not retrieve as a current document, so we do not quote cement brands here. Please tell us the cement and protocol you use, and we will set the cement space in the design to match.
Ordering Ceramill Zolid from Khai Nguyen
Tell us which Ceramill Zolid line your case calls for and we will confirm availability before production. If you are not sure, describe the restoration, the stump shade and the esthetic goal, and we will suggest a line from the chart above. If a Zolid line is not available, we will tell you before we start and offer the closest alternative from the zirconia blanks we work with.
Zirconia crowns and bridges take 2–4 working days in the lab; zirconia on implants takes 3–4.5 working days depending on the number of units. Overseas cases then ship by DHL Express, usually in 2–4 days. The lab works Monday to Saturday, 08:00–19:00 (Vietnam time), and is ISO 13485 certified. More on timing in Vietnam dental lab turnaround time and shipping.
With the case, please state:
- The restoration type and tooth numbers.
- The Zolid line, or the design you want (monolithic, cut-back or layered).
- The VITA shade, the stump shade and shade photos if available.
- Your cementation protocol.
Restorations are covered by our general warranty (6 months to 15 years depending on the material). To compare with other zirconia, see IPS e.max ZirCAD Prime, 3M Lava and Cercon, and for layering on a multilayer disc see full cut-back on multilayer zirconia. To discuss a case, please contact Khai Nguyen or follow our ordering process.
Technical values come from Amann Girrbach’s Zolid product pages and the Zolid processing guide. This page is written for dentists and dental technicians. Khai Nguyen Dental Lab fabricates restorations only on professional prescription and does not sell directly to patients.
