System and method for sintering dental restorations

1. A method for sintering dental restorations, the method comprising:

providing a monolithic sintering support having an open porosity of at least 25% and comprising a surface;

positioning a dental restoration in direct contact with the surface, wherein the dental restoration is shaded; and

sintering the dental restoration while the dental restoration is in direct contact with the surface of the monolithic sintering support to form a sintered dental restoration,

wherein the surface is defined at least partially by a recess, and wherein positioning a dental restoration in direct contact with the surface includes positioning a dental restoration at least partially in the recess.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the recess includes a channel that extends along a length of the monolithic sintering support.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein positioning a dental restoration at least partially in the recess includes positioning a dental restoration in more than one recess.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the recess includes a truncated V cross-sectional shape.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing an unsintered zirconia monolith; and

milling the zirconia monolith to form the dental restoration.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monolithic sintering support comprises alumina.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monolithic sintering support comprises zirconia.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dental restoration comprises zirconia.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monolithic sintering support comprises at least 97 wt % alumina.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monolithic sintering support has a porosity of at least 35%.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monolithic sintering support has a density ranging from about 1.6 g/cm 3 to about 3 g/cm 3 .

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monolithic sintering support has a density of about 1.8 g/cm 3 .

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monolithic sintering support has an average grain size of at least 5 μm.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monolithic sintering support comprises less than 0.5 wt % of at least one of the following impurities: iron, manganese, vanadium, cobalt, copper, nickel, oxide impurities, and combinations thereof.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monolithic sintering support includes an indexing system, and further comprising indexing the location of the dental restoration on the monolithic sintering support.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monolithic sintering support includes a plurality of apertures positioned to provide fluid communication between a first major surface of the monolithic sintering support and a second major surface of the monolithic sintering support.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sintered dental restoration has a fit rating of at least 4.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sintered dental restoration has a decoloration DE value of no greater than 6.

19. A system for sintering dental restorations, the system comprising:

a monolithic sintering support having an open porosity of at least 25% and comprising a surface, wherein the surface is defined at least partially by a recess;

a dental restoration positioned in direct contact with the surface, such that the dental restoration is positioned at least partially in the recess, wherein the dental restoration is shaded.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the monolithic sintering support comprises at least 97 wt % alumina.