Influence of various airborne-particle abrasion conditions on bonding between zirconia ceramics and an indirect composite resin material

Abstract

Statement of problem: Indirect composite resins (ICRs) have been suggested as veneering materials for implant-supported zirconia-based fixed dental prostheses; however, obtaining a durable bond between the zirconia ceramic and the ICR is a challenge.

Purpose: The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the influence of airborne-particle abrasion conditions on the bond strength between 2 kinds of zirconia (yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal [Y-TZP] and ceria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia/alumina nanocomposite [Ce-TZP/A]) and an ICR.

Material and methods: Zirconia disks were prepared by using computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) systems. Specimens were airborne-particle abraded with different particle sizes (25, 50, 90, 125 μm) and jet pressures (0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 MPa). The control group (CO) was not subjected to airborne-particle abrasion. The surface roughness (Ra) of the specimens was measured. Subsequently, the specimens were treated with a primer and bonded with a light-activated composite resin, and the shear bond strength (SBS) was tested. The obtained data were analyzed by using multivariate analysis of variance, the Spearman rank-order correlation, and the Mann-Whitney U test (α=.05). After the SBS test, the interface failure modes were observed by scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to analyze the chemical changes of the zirconia surface.

Results: The Ra values increased significantly (P<.05) after airborne-particle abrasion with a positive correlation with both particle size and jet pressure. The airborne-particle abraded specimens exhibited significantly higher bond strength after thermocycling (P<.05) than the CO. Nevertheless, the bond strength was not significantly different among different airborne-particle abrasion treatments (P>.05). Additionally, Y-TZP had higher mean bond strength values than Ce-TZP/A. The XPS results revealed that after airborne-particle abrasion, the alumina particles mechanically adhered to the zirconia surface.

Conclusions: Within the limitations of this in vitro study, airborne-particle abrasion improved the bond strength between zirconia and ICR; however, particle size or jet pressure were not influencing factors.