Evaluation of the effects of thermal changes on the bond strength between zirconia framework and veneering ceramic during the firing process.

Purpose: The aim of this in-vitro study was to evaluate the effect of thermal changes to shear bond strength during the firing process of veneering porcelain on a zirconia framework.

Materials and methods: Single yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (Y-TZP) framework ceramic (Kavo Dental GmbH) and three different types of veneering ceramics (IPS e.max Ceram, Vita VM9, and GC Initial Zr-FS) were used. One-hundred-twenty standard disc-shaped samples were prepared from zirconia blocks by using a CAD/CAM system (Kavo Everest). Four different cooling processes (maximum, 25°C/min, 50°C/min and 75°C/min) were applied to the veneering ceramics and the shear bond strength (SBS) test was performed. Ceramic surfaces were investigated by using scanning electron microscopeic (SEM). The possible occurrence of a t-m transformation of zirconia was evaluated by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). Two-way analysis of variance, Bonferroni correction and paired comparisons were used for statistical analysis.

Results: The main effects of veneering ceramics on shear bond strength were found to be significant (p=0.042). The mean shear bond strength values differ according to the cooling process (p<0.001). The monoclinic phase ratio increased in groups with fast cooling process.

Conclusion: The thermal changes during the firing process of veneering porcelain on a zirconia framework influenced the shear bond strength of the all-ceramic bilayered system. A slow cooling process provided higher strength for bilayer ceramic samples.