In a dental furnace with a heating chamber heated in a first heating period (40) at more than 50 K/min to at least 1000[deg] C, this period is followed by (a) an intermediate heating period (42) of at least 5 minutes, adapted to material to be sintered, and (b) a final heating period (44) at more than 30 K/min to at least 1000[deg] C, in which the temperature is kept above that at the end of the first period for at least 5 minutes. Forced cooling is then carried out. In a dental furnace having a heating chamber heated during a first heating period (40) at more than 50 (preferably more than 100) K/min to at least 1000 (preferably more than 1100)[deg] C, the first heating period is followed by (a) an intermediate heating period (42) lasting at least 5 (preferably at least 10) minutes in which the heating rate or gradient is adapted to the material to be sintered in the furnace and (b) a final heating period (44) at more than 30 (preferably more than 50) K/min to at least 1000 (preferably 1100-1250)[deg] C, during which the furnace temperature is kept above the temperature at the end of the first heating period for at least 5 (preferably at least 25) minutes. Forced cooling of the furnace is then carried out. Independent claims are included for: (1) a variant of the dental furnace, in which, between a first heating period (in which material to be sintered is heated up at more than 50 K/im) and the start of a final heating period, an intermediate heating period at a rate of much less than 50 (preferably less than 10) K/min is carried out, the first and final heating periods being material-independent and the length and heating rate of the intermediate period being dependent on the material to be sintered and (2) heating processes corresponding to the two variants of the dental furnaces, including intermediate heating periods as above.
