Dental prostheses mimic the natural enamel behavior under functional loading: A review article

Glass infiltration in an experimental ATZ ceramic composite reinforced with Al2O3 whiskers

This study evaluated the development and characterization of alumina-toughened zirconia (ATZ) composites containing 10 wt% Al2O3 whiskers subjected to the glass infiltration. To obtain ATZ 90/10 composites, the commercial 3Y-TZP powder was mixed with synthesized alumina whiskers and subsequently compacted. Discs (n = 210) were pre-sintered at 1000 °C for 1 h. The infiltration of glass (68SiO2-11.7Al2O3-3CaO-7.3Na2O-10K2O) was developed by mixing glass and propylene glycol, which was then applied onto ATZ pre-sintered specimens. For infiltration, the graded discs were divided into two different sintering protocols: protocol 1 (1550 °C for 2 h) and protocol 2 (1350 °C for 1 h followed by 1550 °C for 2 h). As a control group, non-infiltrated specimens were sintered using protocol 1. The specimens were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectroscopy. Hardness, fracture toughness, and biaxial flexural strength tests followed by fractographic analysis were performed. Statistical analyses were conducted using Weibull distribution to calculate the material's modulus (m) and characteristic strength (95% CI), as well as ANOVA tests. High-aspect ratio alumina whiskers (10 μm × 200 nm) were synthesized. While the control group's XRD patterns evidenced only characteristic tetragonal zirconia and α-alumina peaks, the glass-infiltrated groups did not present characteristic peaks of crystalline materials. ATZ with alumina whiskers showed higher fracture toughness and characteristic strength compared to conventional ATZ. Furthermore, glass-infiltration improved the characteristic strength of conventional ATZ with no significant differences observed in the Weibull modulus. For W-G-2, C, and W groups the fractures originated at the zirconia surface, while for C-G-1-, C-G-2, and W-G-1 the origins were inside the ceramic microstructure. In conclusion, the development of ATZ with alumina whiskers increased the biaxial flexural strength and fracture toughness compared to conventional ATZ. The glass gradation significantly improved the characteristic strength of conventional ATZ regardless of the sintering protocol used, whereas it only improved the characteristic strength of whisker-reinforced ATZ when a single sintering was performed. Additionally, the sintering protocol influenced the thickness and amount of glass gradation in the composites.

Three-year clinical evaluation of zirconia and zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate crowns with minimally invasive vertical preparation technique

Objectives

Large part of the tooth is required to be removed during crown preparation. A minimally invasive method for preparing single crowns is required to increase the durability of teeth. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical performance of two ceramic systems fabricated with minimally invasive vertical preparation.

Materials and methods

Forty endodontically treated maxillary premolars were prepared with vertical preparation and received temporary crowns for a period of 21 days. Twenty zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate (Celtra Duo HT, Dentsply Sirona, Germany) and 20 monolithic high translucency zirconia (Katana HT, Kuarary Noritake, Japan) crowns were fabricated by CAD/CAM and cemented with dual-polymerizing luting resin. The crowns were evaluated clinically and radiographically for 36 months following modified FDI criteria. Statistical analysis was conducted with t Student test (Cochran Q).

Results

Over the follow-up period, there was no need to replace any of the study’s crowns. The overall survival rate of the 40 crowns was 100% according to the Kaplan–Meier survival method. The clinical quality of all crowns and the patient’s satisfaction were high. No caries was detected and no adverse soft tissue reactions around the crowns were observed. Periodontal probing depth was reported to be increased at mesial and distal sites more than the facial one in the 36-month follow-up with no statistically significant difference between both materials (P = 0.186).

Conclusions

Zirconia and zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate could be used as a material for restoration of teeth prepared with vertical preparation technique. Both ceramic materials achieved good esthetic results, promotes healthy and stable soft tissues with no mechanical complications after 3 years of clinical evaluation.

Clinical relevance

Monolithic high translucency zirconia and zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate ceramics can be used for the restorations of minimal invasive vertical preparation in premolar area with 0.5 mm margin thickness.

Functionally Graded Al2O3-CTZ Ceramics Fabricated by Spark Plasma Sintering

We studied the fabrication of functionally graded Al₂O₃–CeO₂-stabilized-ZrO₂ (CTZ) ceramics by spark plasma sintering. The ceramic composite exhibits a gradual change in terms of composition and porosity in the axial direction. The composition gradient was created by layering starting powders with different Al₂O₃ to CTZ ratios, whereas the porosity gradient was established with a large temperature difference, which was induced by an asymmetric graphite tool configuration during sintering. SEM investigations confirmed the development of a porosity gradient from the top toward the bottom side of the Al₂O₃–CTZ ceramic and the relative pore volume distributed in a wide range from 0.02 to 100 µm for the samples sintered in asymmetric configuration (ASY), while for the reference samples (STD), the size of pores was limited in the nanometer scale. The microhardness test exhibited a gradual change along the axis of the ASY samples, reaching 10 GPa difference between the two opposite sides of the Al₂O₃–CTZ ceramics without any sign of delamination or cracks between the layers. The flexural strength of the samples for both series showed an increasing tendency with higher sintering temperatures. However, the ASY samples achieved higher strength due to their lower total porosity and the newly formed elongated CeAl₁₁O₁₈ particles.

The Flexural Strength and Flexural Modulus of Stereolithography Additively Manufactured Zirconia with Different Porosities

PURPOSE

Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies are capable of fabricating complex geometries with different porosities. However, the effect of such porosities on mechanical properties of stereolithography (SLA) AM zirconia with different porosities is unclear. The purpose of this in vitro study was to investigate the mechanical properties namely flexural strength, and flexural modulus of AM zirconia with different porosities.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A bar (25 × 4 × 3 mm) for flexural strength test (ISO standard 6872/2015) was designed by CAD software program and standard tessellation language (STL) file was obtained. The STL file was used to fabricate a total of 80 bars in four groups. Three experimental groups each containing 20 samples were manufactured using an SLA ceramic printer (CeraMaker 900; 3DCeram Co) and zirconia material (3DMix ZrO₂ paste; 3DCeram Co) with different sintering post processing to achieve different porosities including 0%-porosity (AMZ0), 20%-porosity (AMZ20), and 40%-porosity (AMZ40). The same STL file was used for subtractive manufacturing or milling of 20 zirconia bars as control group (CNCZ) with the same dimensions using a commercial zirconia. Three-point bending tests were performed for all groups following ISO standard 6872/2015 specification using a universal testing machine. Outcomes measured included load at fracture, mean flexural strength, and flexural modulus and they were compared across the experimental groups using a one-way ANOVA. Post hoc pair wise comparison between each pair of the groups were performed using Tukey test.

RESULTS

There was a significant difference between the four groups, in terms of fracture load, flexural strength and flexural modulus using one-way ANOVA. AM zirconia with 0% porosity (AMZ0) showed the highest value for fracture load (1132.7 ± 220.6 N), flexural strength (755.1 ± 147.1 MPa) and flexural modulus (41,273 ± 2193 MPa) and AM zirconia with 40% porosity (AMZ40) showed the lowest fracture load (72.13 ± 13.42 N), flexural strength (48.09 ± 8.95 MPa) and flexural modulus (7177 ± 506 MPa). Tukey's pairwise comparisons detected a significant difference between all the possible pairs for all variables except flexural modulus between AMZ0 and CNCZ. The Weibull moduli presented the lowest value for AMZ20 (4.4) followed by AMZ40 (6.1), AMZ0 (6.1), and the highest value was for CNCZ (8.1).

CONCLUSION

AM zirconia with 0% porosity showed significantly higher flexural strength and flexural modulus when compared to milled and AM zirconia with 20% and 40% porosities.

Establishment of optimal variable elastic modulus distribution in the design of full-crown restorations by finite element analysis

To establish optimal elastic modulus distribution throughout the entire all-ceramic crown, aiming at improvement of the mechanical properties of the restoration as well as the adhesive interface, seven 3D models of mandibular first premolars of zirconia monolithic and bilayer crowns and lithium disilicate monolithic and bilayer crowns were constructed. The elastic modulus distribution of 8-layer crown A referred to human enamel, B was calculated by a genetic algorithm (GA) to minimize the principle stresses on the crown, and C minimized the shear stresses at the cementing lines. After applying a static load of 600 N, the maximum principle stresses were calculated and analyzed by finite element analysis (FEA). Group C were found to have the lowest peak shear stress at the cementing line and moderate peak tensile stress in the crown. Introduction of the modified elastic modulus distribution from human enamel into the entire all-ceramic crown reinforces the mechanical properties of the whole restoration as well as the adhesive interface against chipping and debonding.

PICN Nanocomposite as Dental CAD/CAM Block Comparable to Human Tooth in Terms of Hardness and Flexural Modulus

Polymer infiltrated ceramic network (PICN) composites are an increasingly popular dental restorative material that offer mechanical biocompatibility with human enamel. This study aimed to develop a novel PICN composite as a computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) block for dental applications. Several PICN composites were prepared under varying conditions via the sintering of a green body prepared from a silica-containing precursor solution, followed by resin infiltration. The flexural strength of the PICN composite block (107.8–153.7 MPa) was similar to a commercial resin-based composite, while the Vickers hardness (204.8–299.2) and flexural modulus (13.0–22.2 GPa) were similar to human enamel and dentin, respectively. The shear bond strength and surface free energy of the composite were higher than those of the commercial resin composites. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopic analysis revealed that the microstructure of the composite consisted of a nanosized silica skeleton and infiltrated resin. The PICN nanocomposite block was successfully used to fabricate a dental crown and core via the CAD/CAM milling process.

Functionally graded biomimetic biomaterials in dentistry: an evidence-based update

Design and development of novel therapeutic strategies to regenerate lost tissue structure and function is a serious clinical hurdle for researchers. Traditionally, much of the research is dedicated in optimising properties of scaffolds. Current synthetic biomaterials remain rudimentary in comparison to their natural counterparts. The ability to incorporate biologically inspired elements into the design of synthetic materials has advanced with time. Recent reports suggest that functionally graded material mimicking the natural tissue morphology can have a more exaggerated response on the targeted tissue. The aim of this review is to deliver an overview of the functionally graded concept with respect to applications in clinical dentistry. A comprehensive understanding of spatiotemporal arrangement in fields of restorative, prosthodontics, periodontics, orthodontics and oral surgery is presented. Different processing techniques have been adapted to achieve such gradients ranging from additive manufacturing (three dimensional printing/rapid prototyping) to conventional techniques of freeze gelation, freeze drying, electrospinning and particulate leaching. The scope of employing additive manufacturing technique as a reliable and predictable tool for the design and accurate reproduction of biomimetic templates is vast by any measure. Further research in the materials used and refinement of the synthesis techniques will continue to expand the frontiers of functionally graded membrane based biomaterials application in the clinical domain.

Y-TZP/porcelain graded dental restorations design for improved damping behavior - A study on damping capacity and dynamic Young's modulus

The development of dental restorative materials that mimic tooth-like properties provided by graded structures, aesthetics and properties such as strength, damping capacity and the ability for a continuous remodeling according to the biomechanical solicitation is a great challenge. In this work, damping capacity and dynamic Young's modulus of Y-TZP/porcelain composites for all-ceramic dental restorations were studied. These mechanical properties were assessed by dynamic mechanical analyses (DMA) at frequencies of 1, 5 and 10 Hz, over a temperature ranging from 0 to 60 °C, simulating extreme conditions when a cold or hot drink is experienced. The results showed that porcelain and porcelain-matrix composites exhibited higher damping capacity while Y-TZP and Y-TZP-matrix composites presented higher dynamic Young's modulus. Furthermore, while damping capacity is strongly influenced by the temperature, no significant difference in dynamic Young's modulus was found. For both damping and modulus properties, no significant influence of frequency was found for the tested materials. Based on the obtained results and also on the known advantages of the graded Y-TZP/porcelain structures over traditional bi-layer solutions (e.g., improved bending strength, enhanced mechanical and thermal stress distribution), a novel design of all-ceramic restoration with damping capacity has been proposed at the end of this study. A positive impact on the long-term performance of these all-ceramic restorations may be expected.

Fatigue failure load and finite element analysis of multilayer ceramic restorations

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the fatigue failure load via staircase approach and stress distribution via FEA of different ceramic configurations arranged in multilayers composed of ceramic materials with different elastic moduli and compare them to monolayer models.

METHODS

CAD-CAM ceramic blocks were used to shape 0.3mm and 1.5mm thick discs, corresponding to: feldspathic (F), 64GPa; lithium disilicate (L), 95GPa; and Yttrium-partially stabilized tetragonal zirconia (Y-TZP) (Y), 209.3GPa. The 0.3mm discs were arranged in 4 layers cemented with resin cement (Multilink N), and the 1.5mm discs were not treated, in such a way that the final thickness of all specimens was 1.5mm (±0.15mm). The following 6 groups were tested: F (F: monolithic); L (L: monolithic); LLFF (L+L+F+F); FFLL (F+F+L+L); YLFF (Y+L+F+F); YLLF (Y+L+L+F). The loads-to-fracture were obtained using the biaxial flexural strength test until failure and the data were run using one-way ANOVA and Tukey's multiple comparisons (α=0.05) tests. The biaxial bending test was also simulated through finite element analysis (FEA) to identify the tensile stress generated at each layer of the groups. Mean fatigue failure load (100,000 cycles; 20Hz) was determined using the staircase approach. The fracture analysis was performed by stereomicroscope and scanning electron microscopy.

RESULTS

The load to fracture (N) were obtained as follows: L (592.9±73.8)^D>FFLL (319.78±43.59)^C>YLLF (246.75±24.89)^B>F (167.13±9.84)^A>YLFF (166.51±15.24)^A>LLFF (165.46±22.75)^A; and the fatigue failure load (N): L (310.92±26.73)^F>FFLL (190.17±8.32)^E>F (106.21±2.81)^D>YLLF (96.48±5.73)^C>YLFF (89.56±2.38)^B>LLFF (77.23±6.33)^A. The origin of all of the tested specimens was located at the tensile region of the discs, as encountered in FEA.

SIGNIFICANCE

The material under tensile stress is determinant for the restoration's strength and the adhesive interface negatively influenced the mechanical behavior of the multilayer structures.

A Functionally Graded PICN Material for Biomimetic CAD-CAM Blocks

The objective of this study was to introduce a functionally graded (FG) polymer-infiltrated ceramic network (PICN) block, characterized by a gradient of mechanical properties, as a biomimetic material for computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD-CAM) prostheses. FG-PICN blocks were manufactured from a slurry of glass-ceramic powder, which was subsequently centrifuged and sintered. The ceramic network was infiltrated with urethane dimethacrylate and polymerized under high temperature-pressure. Blocks were sectioned into 9 layers, and each layer was subsequently cut into 3 samples. Samples were loaded into a 3-point bending device and tested for flexural strength, flexural load energy, and flexural modulus. The volume percentage of glass-ceramic, hardness, and brittleness index were also measured and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations were performed. Katana translucent zirconia (HT-ZIR) and e.max-CAD (EMX) were tested for comparison. Flexural strength, flexural load energy, and Weibull modulus of FG-PICN were shown to increase from the first (enamel-like zone) to the ninth layer (dentin-like zone), while, on the contrary, flexural modulus, hardness, brittleness index, and ceramic volume percentage decreased. SEM characterization highlighted a higher porosity in layer 9 than in layer 1. Flexural strength of the dentin-like zone (372.7 ± 27.8 MPa) was similar to EMX and lower than HT-ZIR. Flexural modulus was shown to vary from 41.9 ± 5.1 to 28.6 ± 2.0 GPa from surface to depth. Flexural load energy in the dentin-like zone (27.1 ± 4.9 mJ) was significantly superior to EMX and HT-ZIR. Hardness gradient was shown to be close to tooth tissues. This work introduces FG-PICN blocks, with a gradient of mechanical and optical properties through the entire thickness of the block designed to mimic dental tissues. FG-PICN demonstrated a favorable gradient of flexural strength, elastic modulus, and, most of all, flexural load energy and hardness compared to other CAD-CAM materials, which can promote the biomechanical behavior of single-unit restorations on teeth and implants.

A COMPUTATIONAL STRATEGY TO EXAMINE THE PROFILE EFFECTS OF MICROPRISM REGIONS ON THE OVERALL ANISOTROPY OF HUMAN ENAMELS

In this study, our attention is mainly on elaborating a computational strategy to effectively predict the influence of prism profiles on the overall anisotropic property of human enamels (HEs). At first, two distinct schemes are developed separately with the aid of the polynomial fitting technique and the general power functions to mathematically describe the practical irregular and simplified regular profiles of enamel prisms. Hereafter, two parametric piecewise formulas, which facilitate the definition of anisotropic material properties of finite elements at different locations and make the numerical simulation of HE microstructures consisting of irregularly shaped prisms feasible, are presented to describe the orientation of hydroxyapatite (HAP) crystallites embedded in microprisms. The effective anisotropic moduli over a representative unit cell (RUC) under the periodic displacement constraint is concisely introduced according to the micromechanics, and a computational strategy is established to calculate these moduli numerically. Finally, the evaluations in the open literature are employed to demonstrate the validity of the elaborated computational strategy, and more investigations are conducted and yield the conclusions such that the material property of the inter-prism regions as well as the prism shapes plays a crucial role in determining the overall anisotropy of HEs.