Creation porcelain
Creation Porcelain.
At the time, Willi Geller received offers from several companies asking, “Would you like to develop a new ceramic material with us?” However, he never intended to create a new ceramic product. He had already developed VITA's opaque dentin, which became a product, and he received royalties for it.Since the opaque dentin was an idea for blending existing porcelains, it couldn't be patented, but Geller received compensation from VITA for the utility model.
Today, opaque dentin is a ceramic material incorporated into kits from every manufacturer.
Furthermore, since VITA's ceramic material options were limited at the time, Geller constantly mixed stains into the ceramic material to create original shades, using them for fabricating metal-ceramic crowns. He gained experience in ceramic shade matching and had many ideas, but he believed those ideas would never be commercialized, so he kept them to himself, storing them away in his heart.
VITA VMK Opacous Dentin and VMK Shoulder Powder
Opacous Dentin was developed by Willi Geller, and Shoulder Porcelain was developed by Peter Vryonis.
＊ As an aside, Geller has recently stated the following:
Opaque dentine is not used as extensively as it once was. This is because the layering technique has been reversed. Previously, it was a layered structure designed to block light. Now, conversely, it creates a layered structure that allows light to enter and circulate within the crown. While opaque dentine may still be used to some extent, I believe it is entirely possible to eliminate its use altogether by changing the approach and layering technique.
Mr. Jurg Kleboth
Geller had a classmate from his time in Baden, Austria, Mr. Jurg Kleboth, who worked for Ivoclar and was good at chemistry. Among Mr. Kleboth's friends was Dr. Schmidt, a dentist born in Vienna and living in Liechtenstein. The two of them began thinking about a new porcelain and planning what they could do to achieve it.
One day, they visited Geller.Mr. Jurg Kleboth introduced Dr. Schmidt to Geller and began talking about the development of a new porcelain. Their goal was to use Geller's reputation and name for the new porcelain.
Geller had absolutely no interest in Dr. Schmidt's porcelain development, and Dr. Schmidt's ideas for porcelain development went in one ear and out the other without any resistance.For Geller, his incompatible porcelain philosophy and development ideas were not at all interesting.
In Geller's heart, he may have been thinking, “Even technicians find it difficult to reproduce the color and brightness of porcelain, so what does a dentist who has never even touched porcelain know about its color?!” Not only that, but he may have also felt that Schmidt was trying to take advantage of him.
*There is still a tendency for dental companies to respect the opinions of dentists rather than dental technicians when developing aesthetic materials.
Geller always says, “When it comes to aesthetics, it is always the dental technicians who make the effort and do the development, not the dentists. Companies should not forget this point.”
Later, at their request, Geller met them again at the Hilton in Zurich for another conversation. Dr. Schmidt brought up the same topic again and detained Geller once more to exchange ideas about new developments in porcelain. After exchanging questions, Dr. Schmidt excused himself to go to the restroom.With Dr. Schmidt gone, only Geller and Kreboth remained at the table...Looking back now, Geller recalls that moment as a very interesting moment, space, and situation, one that he can still remember vividly.
While the two were waiting for Dr. Schmidt, Kreboth suddenly opened his mouth and asked Geller,
“Do we two really need to develop porcelain with Dr. Schmidt?!”
Kreboth's words rang like a bell in both their heads, and it was precisely the moment when “Creation” was born.
Initially, Kreboth had intended to develop porcelain with Dr. Schmidt, but Dr. Schmidt and Geller couldn't see eye to eye, and Kreboth probably thought that Geller's ideas were correct and that it would be quicker to develop the new porcelain with Geller alone.
Thus, it was decided to develop a new ceramic material with funding from Ivoclar employees Jurg Kreboth and Willi Geller. At the time, Kreboth was employed by Ivoclar but lacked connections in dealer sales and marketing. In contrast, Geller was well-known and held the position of conducting sales while delivering “Creation” lectures and hands-on seminars.
It would not be an exaggeration to say Geller was the actual salesperson for “Creation.”
As mentioned earlier, when establishing the new ceramic manufacturer, Jürg Krevos initially wished to use only the name Geller. However, the company had not yet finalized its product development, product philosophy, or design, and needed someone to take charge of designing the ceramic materials going forward. Drawing on his experience with ceramic shade matching during his time at VITA, Geller saw the potential to commercialize his ideas and took on the ceramic design work, leveraging his past experience. The design for the new ceramic material was already fully formed in Geller's mind. Thus, the ideas born from his unique experience were not buried but utilized as products.
The commercialization of his ideas also became an opportunity to pass on his philosophy and techniques to younger dental technicians, which was excellent for the future of dental technology. While numerous dental porcelains exist in the world, each has its own history of invention and development. These products have stimulated each other, progressively elevating aesthetic technology. The “Creation” ceramic material developed by Geller is one such example. To promote the adoption and success of “Creation,” Geller conducted lectures and hands-on workshops worldwide, creating a sensation in the global dental technology community. This achievement contributed to raising the level of dental technicians worldwide.
As an aside, many porcelain powders developed today remain constrained by existing products and conventional wisdom, resulting in ambiguous product concepts.Manufacturers often fear straying from established norms during product development, clinging to past conventions under the assumption they sell well, and catering excessively to users. This pandering often obscures the very purpose of launching new products.Of course, whether using such a product makes porcelain crowns look beautiful in the mouth is a separate issue. These porcelain materials, with their half-baked concepts and poor designs, disappeared one after another.In that sense, it seems far too many manufacturers don't understand that products designed based on a brilliant concept become truly excellent products.
Furthermore, products overly constrained by the shackles of VITA shade guides fail to express individuality and fade away.
Product development absolutely requires strong leadership. Such development can only truly yield clinically robust products when born from the accumulation of daily clinical experience.
The development of porcelain powder began with the raw materials for Ivoclar's ceramic materials as its foundation. Creation started as a small company with just four people, beginning production in a tiny space like a garage, starting from nothing. Geller, who loved creating something valuable from nothing, was thrilled to be involved in Creation's work.
Feldspar was crushed by the kilogram in the garage. The porcelain powder was tested, crushed again, and tested once more. As production progressed, they repeated these experiments, altering material compositions and conducting repeated tests. Geller admits he never imagined it would require such a serious effort, never dreaming his ideas would take so long to solidify.
Such manufacturing is impossible today. Even a single ceramic particle requires registration. Back then, compared to now, there was a more relaxed atmosphere in that regard, allowing for freer product development.
By the time Geller and others were ready to establish the company, their efforts paid off, and “Creation” began to take shape, step by step.
Regarding the product name “Creation,” everyday words are not approved for trademark registration. Therefore, as a last resort, the coined term “Willi Geller Creation” was created by combining ‘Creation’ with his own name, “Willi Geller,” resulting in the trademark registration of “Willi Geller Creation.”
To jump ahead a bit, while Geller and the others were excited and enthusiastic about developing porcelain materials, their financial struggles persisted.
Initially, it was calculated that establishing “Creation,” which had four members, would cost 100,000 francs.
A few days later, Ivoclar contacted Geller expressing interest in collaborating on porcelain powder production.
Unfortunately, financial support from Ivoclar ultimately failed to materialize.
Consequently, two of the four founders were unable to contribute to the startup costs. This left only Kreboth and Willi Geller, the original founders, in a lonely and difficult situation.
Willi Geller and Jörg Kleboth. One piece in the 20th anniversary of creation. The development and launch of Creation did not go as smoothly as the photo might suggest.
Kreboth asked Geller to come up with 30,000 francs, promising to repay Geller within three months. Remarkably, Kreboth kept his word. This is how Creation got started, but Kreboth did not negotiate with dealers or travel abroad to find them.
Geller, with his international contacts from past overseas lectures and hands-on courses, handled such negotiations as part of his role, effectively acting as a salesman. Geller's workload ratio for “Creation” at launch was not balanced in this way.
Before the ceramic material's official launch in 1988, Geller traveled to Modena, Italy, carrying the first “Creation” test case to dental dealer Mr. Violi. Mr. Violi * was immediately captivated by his “Creation” story, declaring, “Willi, I'll do anything with you, go anywhere with you,” and committing to become an exclusive dealer for “Creation.” Mr. Violi signed the contract based on his trust in Geller, even though he hadn't yet seen the final porcelain powder product.
Additionally, Girrbach in Germany said, “We can do anything for you,” and these rumors became positive word-of-mouth for “Creation,” leading to its sales success in Italy, Germany, and throughout Europe.
Mr. Violi is behind the center among the three. Mr. Violi watching the Zupardi demonstration in Chicago, USA
＊The Relationship Between Mr. Violi and Geller
At that time in Italy, Willi Geller's reputation had already reached their ears, but many people had still never seen Geller's lectures with their own eyes. Therefore, Mr. Violi invited Willi Geller and Dr. Fritz R. Kopp, DMD, to Florence, Italy. The lecture, held at the Palazzo dei Congressi, drew an audience of 500 and was a resounding success.The lecture naturally captivated the Italian audience. They were breathless at Geller's slides—so beautiful, so realistic, and at times even sensual. Italian dental technicians must have felt a shock akin to Michelangelo unveiling his David statue.
This reputation further enhanced Mr. Violi's standing among Italian dental professionals. The outcome of this lecture deepened the bond between Mr. Violi and Geller, strengthening their mutual trust.
After two years of development, Creation was finally released in 1988. No one can live alone.
Human relationships are incredibly important. The only way to maintain them is through sincerity. Always strive to be as honest as possible.
Early-release Creation Porcelain Full Kit
Creation Porcelain Starter Kit from the Initial Release Period
Through this, slowly but surely, the company began to grow.
A video titled “Light and Shadow” by Willy Geller, using ceramic materials created at the time.
As mentioned above, Geller created color translucent powders by mixing stains such as yellow and orange into transparent ceramic materials. By commercializing these special-color ceramics under the “Creation” brand, other manufacturers began to follow suit with similar ceramic materials.
According to Geller, VITA was poor at marketing. When Creation hit the market, VITA immediately followed suit and released a new product (VITA Omega). Their slogan was “We've created a ceramic material superior to Creation.” VITA essentially advertised Creation for them. What this statement implies is an acknowledgment that “Creation is the best ceramic material in the world.”
Additionally, at Creation, as part of our marketing strategy when launching new products, we created advertising posters featuring clinical cases using those products. Of course, these posters bore Willi Geller's signature. We replicated what VITA had done in their advertising campaigns, and this strategy proved successful.
When the company was established after two years of effort, sales and manufacturing were progressing as two separate entities. The manufacturing facility was located in Austria, but the office was always in Switzerland. This was primarily for tax reasons. Eventually, this became two separate companies. Creation's arrival on the market was a crucial and decisive moment, not only in Geller's life but also for the future of the dental industry. Through the sale of Creation porcelain, it undoubtedly played a part in elevating the global standard of aesthetic dentistry, and Geller himself felt this advancement firsthand.
Ultimately, Creation, starting as a small company in 1988 with “no one” behind it, broke the monopoly of the great corporations. The dental industry at that time was free. In Europe and America, companies like Biodent, VITA, Ivoclar, Ceramco, and Jelenco were producing ceramic materials, creating a monopoly. However, Willi Geller and Kreboth shattered this wall of monopoly in the market with their creation, “Creation.” Many ceramic brands have been released, and just as many have disappeared. Creation has had its ups and downs, but Creation itself has survived.
The structure of natural teeth is, simply put, a combination of dentin and enamel. At that time, each porcelain manufacturer produced the color tones of their porcelain powder by matching the shades to the VITAPAN Classical Shade Guide produced by VITA. At first glance, the layering techniques and finished appearance of porcelain from different manufacturers might seem largely indistinguishable. However, it is crucial to understand that differences exist here, stemming from the philosophy and design principles of the porcelain developers overseeing product creation. These differences lead to significant variations in how the restorations appear once placed in the oral cavity.
Geller designed Creation porcelain with a particular focus on ensuring prosthetics harmonize with the periodontal tissues in the oral cavity, resulting in a brighter ceramic crown that looks more natural (this isn't about Creation porcelain specifically, but unfortunately, many dental technicians fail to notice or simply don't grasp this crucial aspect of each manufacturer's porcelain concept).
If oral design is a concept focused on creating with facial appearance and the mouth area in mind, then Creation porcelain is designed not only to enhance the coloration of ceramic crowns but also to guide light toward the gums, making them appear brighter and healthier.
⚫︎oral design concept = Designing facial appearance and the mouth area.
⚫︎Creation Concept = Guiding light to make the coping of metal-ceramic crowns appear invisible. The effect of illuminating the gingiva from the ceramic crown, making it appear brighter.
However, in the industry, this crucial aspect is often overlooked. Discussions frequently focus solely on the topic of surface fluorescence of the crown.
Given the above, it is important to understand that every product has a designer. Therefore, the choice of which manufacturer's product a dental technician selects is influenced from that stage onward by the designer's ideas and philosophy. This is also where the dental technician's talent comes into play.
Side Note
Among Japan's traditional culture, there was a renowned rakugo storyteller named Tachikawa Danshi (1935–2011), who possessed a deep understanding of classical rakugo. He constantly grappled with the disconnect between modernity and tradition, challenging rakugo for many years through both theory and intuition. His ambitious efforts to reinterpret classical rakugo through modern values and sensibilities were highly praised, yet he was also a figure known for his absurd and outrageous behavior.
In 1983, he clashed with his master, who was then president of the Rakugo Association, over the operation of the association's master storyteller promotion examination system. That same year, he left the Rakugo Association. Though he had many disciples at the time, Danshi shared an intriguing message with them:
“There are many types of rakugo performers out there. From among them, you chose me as your master. The moment you chose that master, your talent began!”
Since then, his disciples have gained popularity and achieved success.
Creation porcelain