To Evaluate Effect of Airborne Particle Abrasion using Different Abrasives Particles and Compare Two Commercial Available Zirconia on Flexural Strength on Heat Treatment.

Background and objective: The popularity of ceramic restorations can be attributed to its life-like appearance, durability and biocompatibility and therefore ceramic restorations have been widely used for anterior and posterior teeth. Ceramic restorations have esthetic and biocompatible advantages but low fracture resistance. Since it has high flexural strength and fracture resistance, yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (Y-TZP) is the dental material most commonly used for the core of ceramic crowns and fixed dental prosthesis. In spite of improved mechanical properties, acceptable marginal adaptation and biocompatibility the whitish opacity of zirconia is an obvious esthetic disadvantage. The zirconia framework is often veneered with conventional feldspathic porcelain to achieve a natural appearance. However it is difficult to achieve sufficient bond strength between zirconia and the veneering material. Achieving sufficient bond strength between the veneering ceramic and the zirconia core is a major challenge in the long term clinical success of veneered zirconia restorations. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of different surface treatments on the fracture strength of the two commercially available Zirconia namely Ceramill and ZR-White (AMANNGIRRBACH and UPCERA) respectively.

Method: Two commercially available pre-sinteredyttrium stabilized Zirconia blanks (ZR-White and Ceramill) from AMANNGIRRBACH and UPCERA respectively are used to produce the disc shaped specimens of size (15.2 ± 0.03 mm in diameter and 1.2 ± 0.03 mm thick) from each Zirconia blank. All disc shaped specimens are heated at 1200°C in a furnace for 2 hours to form homogenous tetragonal ZrO₂. The dimensions of the specimens are measured with a digital caliper (aerospace). The thickness and diameter of each specimen are calculated as the means of 3 measurements made at random sites. 80 discs from each Zirconia blank are divided into ten groups of 8 specimens each. Heat treatment after airborne-particle abrasion using 50 µm Al₂O₃ particles and 50 µm silica coated Al₂O₃ are applied to the upper and lower surfaces of the specimens. Each specimen is held under a pressure of 30 psi for 15 seconds at a direction perpendicular to the surface and at a distance of 30mm with an airborne particle abrasion device for the specimens in the airborne particle abraded groups. Heat treatments were performed at a starting temperature of 500°C, heating rate of 100°c/ min, ending at a temperature of 1000°C and 15 minutes holding time without vacuum for the specimens in the group 4, 5, 9 and 10. Airborne-particle abrasion mimicking the preparation for cementation was applied to the lower surfaces with 50 µm alumina and silica coated alumina particles for the specimens in the groups 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. The specimens were cleaned for 15 minutes in an ultrasonic bath containing distilled water. To determine the fracture strength, a disc of 10 mm diameter was used to place 3 hardened steel balls of 3 mm diameter separated each other by 120 degrees (described in the ISO standard 6872 for dental ceramics). Each specimen was centrally placed on this disc. The lower surface mimicking the internal surface of zirconia was the tension side, facing the supporting device testing, while the upper surface mimicking the external surface of the zirconia core was loaded with a flat punch (1 mm in diameter). A universal testing machine was used to perform the test at a cross head speed of 1mm/min. The failure stress was calculated with the equation listed in ISO 6872. The results were then statistically analyzed. A post hoc test was used for pair wise comparisons.

Result: The mean fracture strength of commercially available Zirconia Ceramill (AMANNGIRBACH) showed a significant higher value compared to the ZR-White (UPCERA) Zirconia (P<0.001), Airborne abrasion treatment to the specimens showed a significant difference between the abraded groups and the control group (P<0.001); further AMANNGIRRBACH specimens gave a higher value compare to the UPCERA specimens. The study also revealed that the heat treatment of the specimens gave significant value (P<0.001) compared to the control group, but heat treatment following the air abrasion reduces the fracture strength of the sample than the air abraded group.

Conclusion: Within the limitation of this study, it is concluded that, the in vitro fracture strength of Zirconia specimens treated with an airborne abrasion both on the veneering surface (50 µm silica coated Al2O3) and the cementing surface (50 µm Al₂O₃) was significantly higher than the heat treated and the control group. Airborne particle abrasion followed by the heat treatment reduces the fracture strength of the specimen than that ofthe group treated only by the air abrasives. The fracture strength of a commercially available Ceramill (AMANNGIRRBACH) is greater than that of a Zirconia from ZR-White (UPCERA) variety.