Effect of Thickness on Fluorescence of Some Clinical Dental Ceramics

Objectives: This study aimed to develop a new method for measurement of florescence and compare the fluorescence of some clinical dental ceramics in different thicknesses. Materials and Methods: Forty-eight samples of feldspathic (Vita VM9, A2), IPS e.max (Ivoclar HT, A2), zirconia (Korox Zircostar, A2) and Enamic (Vita A2) ceramics were used in this study in 0.5 and 1 mm thicknesses. The fluorescence of the samples was measured by using a developed technique. The results were analyzed by two-way ANOVA and Duncan post-hoc test. P<0.05 was considered significant. Results: Enamic, feldspathic and e.max ceramics had significantly different fluorescence in descending order (P=0.000). Fluorescence of ceramics increased with an increase in their thickness from 0.5 to 1 mm (P=0.007). Conclusion: The results confirmed the applicability of the presented method for measurement of fluorescence of dental ceramics. While, the thickness of restoration determines the concentration of the fluorescent agent, some additional technical information is required for justification of the observed trend in the studied ceramics.

The influence of roughness on the resistance to impact of different CAD/CAM dental ceramics

This study aimed to investigate the effect of surface roughness (polished vs. CAD/CAM milling simulation) on impact strength of five dental ceramics for manufacturing CAD/CAM monolithic restorations. Specimens of five ceramics (FC- feldspathic glass-ceramic; PICN- polymer-infiltrated ceramic-network; ZLS- zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate glass-ceramic; LD- lithium disilicate glass-ceramic; YZ- yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal ceramic) to be tested under impact (15×10×2mm3; n= 15) were divided into two groups, according to surface treatment: polishing (pol) and grinding (gri) as CAD/CAM milling simulation. Impact strength was tested using the Dynstat method. Roughness, topographic, fractographic and finite element analyses were performed. The impact strength data were analyzed by Weibull, and Pearson correlation was used to correlate roughness and impact strength data. The CAD/CAM milling simulation led to significantly (p<0.05) greater roughness (Ra and Rz) and statistically reduced the impact strength for PICN (polPICN= 4.59 to griPICN= 1.09; ±76% decrease), for LD (polLD= 17.69 to griLD= 10.09; ±43% decrease) and for YZ (polYZ= 74.99 to griYZ= 20.67; ±72% decrease) ceramics; and also promoted a more irregular topography with scratches and grooves. Fractographic and FEA analyses depicted the origin of failure at the higher stress concentration side during the impact test, where the pendulum impacted. The CAD/CAM milling simulation significantly decreased the impact strength of the evaluated ceramic materials.

A REVIEW OF MECHANICAL BEHAVIOR OF DENTAL CERAMIC RESTORATIONS

Dental ceramics are well known for restoring the function and aesthetic of lost or damaged teeth. Understanding these materials’ mechanical and aesthetic properties can make a suitable choice for those materials. The longevity of dental ceramics depends on several factors, including manufacturing method, clinical process, and the oral cavity’s aqueous environment. Failure mechanisms in restorative ceramics are complex and a combination of several factors. Different microstructures in the crystalline phase will involve the propagation of cracks and eventually the fatigue of ceramic materials. Large grains reduce mechanical performance compared to small grain sizes. Aesthetic materials used for veneering are weaker than the core materials and fail when even subjected to small loads. The soft bonding in the core–veneer interface and possible residual stresses created during the veneering method are drawbacks of these systems. Studies on the mechanical behavior of these materials have grown significantly in recent years and provide helpful information about static and fatigue experimentation and the failure behavior of various materials used in dental crowns.

Variations in the Shades of Contemporary Dental Ceramics: An In Vitro Analysis

Background: To identify and compare the shade variations of various commonly used esthetic dental ceramics by calculating their total-color-difference (ΔE) and translucency parameter (TP) using a spectrophotometer. Methods: In total, 165 disc specimens from three shades (A1, B1, and C1) of five ceramic materials (N = 55/shade; n = 11/ceramic material group) were prepared (Metal-ceramic (MC), IPS e.max press (Emax-P), IPS e.max layer (Emax-L), Layered Zirconia (Zr-L) and Monolithic zirconia (Zr-M)). With a spectrophotometer, the L*a*b* values were obtained. Total color differences (ΔE = [(ΔL*)2 + (Δa*)2 + (Δb*)2]1/2) and translucency parameter (TP = [(L*B − L*W)2 + (a*B − a*W)2 + (b*B – b*W)2]1/2) were calculated. The statistical tests included ANOVA and Post hoc Tukey’s analysis (p < 0.05). Results: Significant differences (p = 0.000) were found between the groups for ΔE. Highest ΔE (A1) were found for Zr-L (80.18 ± 20) and lowest for Zr-M (62.97 ± 1.28). For B1, highest ΔE values were noted for MC (76.85 + 0.78) and lowest for the Emax-L (62.13 ± 1.49). For C1, highest ΔE values were found for the MC group (73.96 ± 0 67) and lowest for Emax-P (55.09 ± 1.76). Translucency variations between tested ceramics were revealed (p < 0.05). Highest TP values (A1) were found for Emax-L (2.99 ± 1.64) and lowest for Zr-L (0.35 ± 0.16). For B1, highest TP values were noted for Emax-P (3.50 ± 1.74) and lowest for MC (0.57 ± 0.40). For C1, highest TP values were found for Emax-P (4.46 ± 2.42) and lowest for MC (0.58 ± 0 48). Conclusions: Significant differences in ΔE and TP were found for tested ceramic groups. The color differences of the tested materials varied according to clinical acceptability, even with the selection of same color/shade. The color/shades of the various dental ceramics do not match with the vita shade guide tabs, to which they are compared most often. Shade differences are present between different lots of ceramic materials from the same or different brands.

Resin Nano-Ceramic Material Surface Roughness, Color Stability, and Bacterial Adhesion Evaluation After Different Scaling Methods

Objectives: The study evaluated in vitro the changes in roughness, color stability, and bacterial count of a CAD/CAM Resin Nano-Ceramic material surface treated by various scaling procedures. Material and Methods: 70 disks (5mm diameter, 0.5 mm thickness) of Resin Nano-Ceramic (Lava ™Ultimate, 3M, ESPE) material were cemented in standardized cavities prepared in bovine teeth. A custom-made scaling apparatus of a double pan balance was used for different scaling methods, simulating standard clinical conditions. The specimens were assigned to three main groups: no scaling(C), ultrasonic scaling (U), and manual scaling (M). Each group was then divided into three subgroups according to scaling tip material; stainless steel tip (St), plastic tip (P), and titanium tip (Ti). The surface texture was analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively with a tactile profilometer and atomic force microscopy. A spectrophotometer was used for color measurement. Streptococcus mutans were counted in a colony counter. All the data were tabulated and statistically analyzed. Results: Two-way ANOVA was used to study the effect while One-way ANOVA was performed to compare between study groups. The significance level was set at p 0.05. The ultrasonic titanium tip(UTi) revealed the significant highest mean value of alterations (p < 0.001). The integrity of the material surface was altered in the form of deep scratches on the ultrasonically scaled surfaces and numerous smaller scratches on the hand-scaled surfaces. Conclusion: The plastic instrument would appear to be the instrument of choice during a routine maintenance procedure for Resin Nano-Ceramic materials. Keywords Bacterial biofilm; Dental ceramics; Color stability; Scaling; Surface roughness.

Optimized sintering and mechanical properties of Y-TZP ceramics for dental restorations by adding lithium disilicate glass ceramics

The novel dental ceramics can be fabricated at lower temperatures when sol-gel derived lithium disilicate glass ceramics (LDGC) was used as an additive for yttria stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystalline (Y-TZP) ceramics. The effect of LDGC on the sintering, mechanical, and translucent properties of Y-TZP ceramics was investigated in the present study. The results showed that the LDGC additive effectively improved the densification of Y-TZP at 1100 °C, which was much lower than the sintering temperature for pure Y-TZP. When sintered at 1100 °C, the Y-TZP with 1 wt% LDGC reached a relative density of 95.45%, and prossessed a flexural strength of 482.4 MPa and a fracture toughness of 5.94 MPa·m1/2. Moreover, its translucency was also improved. While, the addition of LDGC could result in an escape of yttrium atoms from the grain lattice of zirconia, which induced the tetragonal-monoclinic transformation of zirconia and abnormal growth of monoclinic grains. The escaped yttrium atoms diffused into the intergranular glass phase. The results indicated that the novel Y-TZP-LDGC ceramics has a great potential to be used for all-ceramic restorations.

Additive Manufacturing of Zirconia Ceramic and Its Application in Clinical Dentistry: A Review

Additive manufacturing (AM) has many advantages and became a valid manufacturing technique for polymers and metals in dentistry. However, its application for dental ceramics is still in process. Among dental ceramics, zirconia is becoming popular and widely used in dentistry mainly due to its outstanding properties. Although subtractive technology or milling is the state of art for manufacturing zirconia restorations but still has shortcomings. Utilizing AM in fabricating ceramics restorations is a new topic for many researchers and companies across the globe and a good understanding of AM of zirconia is essential for dental professional. Therefore, the aim of this narrative review is to illustrate different AM technologies available for processing zirconia and discus their advantages and future potential. A comprehensive literature review was completed to summarize different AM technologies that are available to fabricate zirconia and their clinical application is reported. The results show a promising outcome for utilizing AM of zirconia in restorative, implant and regenerative dentistry. However further improvements and validation is necessary to approve its clinical application.