Review on factors affecting the optical properties of dental zirconia

Clinical applications of translucent zirconia as well as traditional zirconia (3 mol% yttria stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal, 3Y-TZP) are increasing. For this reason, studies on factors affecting the optical properties of dental zirconia have been continuously reported. The optical effect of dental zirconia may vary depending on the yttria content, the thickness of the prosthesis, the sintering process, polishing, glazing and cementation in laboratory and clinical procedures. Increasing the yttria concentration can reduce the masking effect. Translucency decreases as the thickness of the restoration increases, but the required thickness may vary depending on the properties of the zirconia block. The high-speed sintering method can shorten the manufacturing time, but in some cases, the translucency of the prosthesis may decrease. In addition, the optical properties can be affected by the surface roughness of zirconia and the polishing process. The use of an appropriate colored cement can help with the masking effect of zirconia and can be useful for color matching for more esthetic results. (J Dent Rehabil Appl Sci 2021;37(4):177-85)