Zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate crowns: Effect of thickness on survival and failure mode

Edmara T P Bergamo; Dimorvan Bordin; Ilana S Ramalho; Adolfo C O Lopes; Rafael S Gomes; Marina Kaizer; Lukasz Witek; Estevam A Bonfante; Paulo G Coelho; Altair A Del Bel Cury

doi:10.1016/j.dental.2019.04.007

Zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate crowns: Effect of thickness on survival and failure mode

Dent Mater. 2019 Jul;35(7):1007-1016. doi: 10.1016/j.dental.2019.04.007. Epub 2019 May 4.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Prosthodontics and Periodontology, University of Campinas - Piracicaba Dental School, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil.
² Department of Restorative Dentistry, Universus Veritas UNG, Guarulhos, SP, Brazil.
³ Department of Prosthodontics and Periodontology, University of São Paulo - Bauru School of Dentistry, Bauru, SP, Brazil.
⁴ Departament of Biomaterials and Biomimetics, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY, USA; Graduate Program in Dentistry, Positivo University, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
⁵ Departament of Biomaterials and Biomimetics, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY, USA.
⁶ Departament of Biomaterials and Biomimetics, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY, USA; Hansjörg Wyss Department of Plastic Surgery, New York University Langone Healthy School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, New York, NY, USA.
⁷ Department of Prosthodontics and Periodontology, University of Campinas - Piracicaba Dental School, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: delbelcury@gmail.com.

PMID: 31064670
DOI: 10.1016/j.dental.2019.04.007

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the reliability and failure mode of zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate (ZLS) molar crowns of different thicknesses.

Methods: Monolithic ZLS molar crowns (0.5mm, 1.0mm, and 1.5 mm thickness) were modeled and milled using a CAD/CAM system (n = 21/group). Crowns were cemented on dentin-like epoxy resin replicas with a resin cement. The specimens were subjected to single load-to-failure test for step-stress profiles designing. Mouth-motion step-stress accelerated-life test was performed under water by sliding an indenter 0.7 mm lingually down on the distobuccal cusp until specimen fracture or suspension. Use level probability Weibull curves and reliability were calculated and plotted. Polarized-light optical microscope and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were used to characterize fracture patterns.

Results: Irrespective of crown thickness, beta (β) values were higher than 1 and fatigue accelerated failures. While 0.5 mm ZLS crowns exhibited a significant reduction in the probability of survival at 200N, 300N and 400 N mission loads (69%, 41% and 19%, respectively), no significant difference was observed between 1.0 mm and 1.5 mm crowns. Both thicknesses have maintained the survivability at approximately 90%. Failure primarily comprised bulk fracture where radial cracks originated from the cementation surface beneath the indenter loading trail and propagated towards the cervical margin.

Significance: 1.5 mm- and 1.0 mm-thickness monolithic ZLS crowns presented higher probability of survival compared to 0.5 mm crowns. Bulk fracture was the chief failure mode, regardless of thickness.

Keywords: Ceramic; Crowns; Fatigue; Zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Ceramics
Computer-Aided Design
Crowns
Dental Porcelain*
Dental Prosthesis Design
Dental Restoration Failure
Dental Stress Analysis
Lithium*
Materials Testing
Reproducibility of Results
Silicates
Zirconium

Substances

Silicates
Dental Porcelain
Lithium
Zirconium
zirconium oxide