A base-line study of the wear of burs used for chairside milling of ceramic crowns of different hardness: effect on internal fit and surface roughness
Abstract Background: In the CAD/CAM environment, wear of the milling burs may affect the accuracy of the milled crown. However, no studies have related bur wear to both the resultant internal fit of the crown or to the surface roughness. The aim of this study was to study this, using diamond burs and a feldspathic ceramic (Sirona Blocs C, Dentsply Sirona, Germany) and tungsten carbide burs and Zirconia (inCoris TZI puck, Dentsply Sirona, Germany).Methods: Thirty of each of the two materials were milled from the same standard preparation. One set of diamond burs was used for the feldspathic ceramic and one set of tungsten-carbide burs for the Zirconia. Before and after the 10th, 20th and 30th milling times, diamond particle loss was counted and cutting blade changes of the tungsten-carbide burs measured. Internal fit was measured using a silicone replica technique and surface roughness with a 3D measuring laser microscope.Results: Increasing wear of the diamond burs as measured by an average 26% loss of diamond particles after 30 crowns, which resulted in a 6% decrease in internal luting space and a 16% increase in surface roughness. Increasing wear of the tungsten-carbide burs resulted in a 13% decrease in the luting space, but there was an overall 16% increase in surface roughness. Conclusions: This is the first study to compare the wear of diamond and tungsten-carbide milling burs with the internal fit and surface roughness of the crown. The wear of milling burs affects the luting space, reducing it as the burs wear, and therefore the milling parameters must be adjusted to compensate for this.