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Monday, April 25, 2022

Poly crystalline ceramic ( stabilized zirconia)

 

The evolution of computerized systems for the production of dental restorations associated with the development of new ceramic material microstructures has caused a significant change in the clinical workflow for dentists and technicians as well as the treatment options offered to patients. One of the most important changes in this scenario has been the introduction of monolithic restorations made from high-strength ceramics, such as zirconia. 

This concept per se is not new, as ceramic materials have been used for the production of monolithic restorations for a relatively long time, but it was only when zirconia began to be used to produce full-contour crowns that dentists and technicians became more confident in indicating a ceramic material for crowns and bridges in the subsequent area. In fact, by offering monolithic prostheses, clinicians are able to overcome one of the major problems associated with multilayered restorations, which is the fracture of the low-strength veneering layer , usually made from a feldspathic dental ceramic. However, certain health issues can occur by utilizing a monolithic zirconia repair and ought to be taken care of, such as wearing antagonist dentition and maintaining the natural dentition 's cosmetic characteristics .

  

Classification of ceramics

Dental ceramics can be categorized in a number of ways, including form, manufacturing procedure, temperature fusion, microstructure, translucency, fracture resistance and abrasivity.

Classification by Composition

Ceramics can be classified into three groups by composition2: ceramics that compose primarily of glass, those composed of particle-filed glass, and polycrystalline ones. Ceramics which consist mainly of glass have the highest esthetics. Often manufacturers add small amounts of filer particles to monitor the optical effects which mimic natural enamel and dentin. Generally speaking, the more filer particles added to a ceramic, the greater the increase in the mechanical properties but the greater the decrease in the esthetic characteristics. Polycrystalline ceramics contain absolutely no glass. These aren't porcelain as noted earlier.[2]

 

Classification by Processing Method

Another approach to the description of ceramics is by the method of manufacturing them. This includes the production of powder / liquid, slip casting, hot ceramic pressing, and computer-aided additive and subtractive design / computer-aided manufacturing (CAd / CAM).

Classification by Fusing Temperature

Dental porcelain is defined by the temperatures of its fiing. These groups are defined as high-fusing (1300 ° C), medium-fusing (1101 ° C to 1,300 ° C), low-fusing (850 ° C to 1,100 ° C), and ultra-low-fusing (< 850 ° C). 7 Denture teeth are a case in point of high fusion porcelain. Depending on the system, crown and bridge porcelain may be medium- or low-fusing, and ultra-low-fusing porcelain would be used for porcelain and glazing. Some now apply to just two categories — high- or low-fusing porcelain — with a distinction defined at 800 ° C to make it less difficult. [3]

Classification by Microstructure

As mentioned earlier, porcelain has two different phases: the phase of glass (responsible for esthetics) and the phase of crystalline (related to mechanical strength). In the case of feldspathic porcelain, when feldspar is melted, crystalline mineral called leucite (potassium-aluminum-silicate) forms. Feldspar undergoes incongruous melting between 1.150 ° C and 1.530 ° C to form leucite crystals. Incongruous melting is a process in which one material does not evenly melt and forms a different material.7 The leucite crystalline phase has a diffaction index similar to the glass matrix which, in this case, contributes to the overall esthetics of porcelain.17The leucite content of porcelain is associated with the propagation resistance of cracks. Greater content of leucite means a greater decrease in the propagation of a crack.18 This type of porcelain is called leucite-reinforced. Microporosities are formed on the surface during the sintering process of all-ceramic restorations which lead to crack initiation and propagation and ultimately result in failure. [4]

Classification by Fracture resistance

A quantitative means of describing the tolerance of a ceramic to brittle fracture when a crack is present is called the "fracture toughness," which is the capacity to tolerate crack growth.1 When a substance has a high value of fracture toughness, it is likely to undergo ductile fracture. Brittle fracture is very characteristic of materials with a low fracture toughness value.48 Flexural strength (rupture module or bend strength module) is defied as the ability of a material to withstand deformation under load. Flexural strength reflects the maximum stress encountered in the material at the time of breakup and is measured in terms of stress.7 For example, the estimated flxural strength values for zirconia vary from 900 MPa to 1,100 MPa,49,50 and fracture was estimated from 8 MPa to 10 MPa. [5]   

Classification by Abrasiveness

Ceramic restorations were known to induce opposed enamel wear. 53 The abrasiveness of a dental ceramic is determined primarily by the smoothness of the material. 54 For wear to occur, friction must evolve by mechanical interlocking of the two wear bodies. Low-fusing porcelain was developed with the idea of reducing the abrasiveness of the ceramic surface to incorporate fier-sized leucite particles in lower concentrations. [6] 

 

Composition

 



Dental ceramics are composed primarily of crystalline minerals and matrix glass. Crystalline minerals include feldspar, quartz and alumina and maybe kaolin as a matrix of glass. Table 1 discussed the detailed composition of the dental ceramics [7]

 



 

Zirconia phases

Zirconia (ZrO2) also occurs in several phases: monoclinical, tetragonal, and cubic. Zirconia is monoclinic until 1170 ° C. It then converts to tetragonal until a temperature of 2370 ° C reaches. At this temperature, zirconia becomes cubic until the melting point is at 2680 ° C. (Figure 1)shows those major zirconia polymorphs. Phase transitions of Zirconia are reversed after cooling and followed by volume expansions. With a change of the theoretical density from 6.06 to 6.1, cubic zirconia transforms under 2370 ° C into tetragonal. The tetragonal phase transforms to monoclinic at around 1170 ° C, and the density decreases from 6.1 to 5.83. The transformations into the monoclinical phase are obviously accompanied by volume expansions of approximately 4%. The transformed grains undergo volume-induced strains and changes of shape induced by phase transformation, accompanied by strains of shear. These strains apply stress to grains adjacent to them. Thus sintered pure zirconia suffers a microscopic cracking, which limits its use as refractory ceramics or pigments. This condition improved in 1929, when zirconia stability was first achieved.



 

Additives to zirconia such as calcium oxide, magnesium oxide, cerium oxide and yttrium oxide are used to stabilize high-temperature phases and are given the name "Partially Stabilized Zirconia (PSZ)." At room temperature, PSZ as a biomaterial contains the cubic phase as the major phase and the monoclinic phase as the minor phase. Another minor phase of PSZ is the metastable tetragonal phase, which exists by a quantity that depends on many "material design parameters" such as stabilizer quantity, zirconia and stabiliser particle sizes, chemical history, and processing method. The processing method affects the homogeneity of the end powder mix and the final shape of the particle, which affects the surface area. The residual stresses in the bulk are dependent on the cooling procedure for the sintered product, and the more likely the required phase transformation will take place by decreasing it.

The tetragonal metastable phase helps enhance the toughness of the fracture through a mechanism called toughening transformation. It is magnified at the crack tip as a force is applied, which is called force concentration. The magnified stress will exceed a value necessary to establish transformation of the tetragonal – monoclinic process. This is combined with an extension of length, and would apply a compression on the edge of the crack. As a result, crack growth is retarded and the resilience of the cracks is decreased. The removal of some of the crack energy that is caused by phase transition also leads to retarding the crack and improving the resilience of the fracture. Obviously, the increased toughness of the fracture improves the product 's reliability and increases its service life [8].

Stabilization of zirconia

Zirconia (ZrO2) has three polymorphic forms: tetragonal, monoclinical and cubic. At room temperature, the monoclinic phase is stable; the tetragonal phase is a metastable process developing at 1170–2370°C; and the cubic process starts to develop above 2670°C. The cubic – tetragonal transition takes place on cooling from high temperature with a small expansion of the volume of the unit cell. In the other hand, high-volume expansions (3 percent – 5 percent) follow the tetragonal–monoclinic and cubic–monoclinic transitions. Therefore the sintered pure zirconia undergoes the development of cracks during the cooling process caused by significant stresses. To overcome this difficulty, oxide additives, such as CaO, MgO, and Y2O3, are used when cooled from the sintering temperature to room temperature to stabilize the cubic or tetragonal phase of zirconium. So the powder of zirconia is called stabilized zirconia.

The addition of approximately 8 mol percent CaO or MgO creates partly stabilized zirconia (PSZ), i.e. during cooling, the cubic or tetragonal transition to monoclinical phase is bounded, and thus crack forming does not occur. Roughly speaking, the monoclinic phase mount is about 10 percent -20 percent and can be lowered by thermal ageing to less than 5 percent. With PSZ, improved mechanical properties are obtained due to the toughening transformation (TT) phenomenon. TT is an induced transition of the tetragonal phase into the monoclinical phase that is exacerbated by access to crack energy from stress. Within several microns of the crack tip, the grains which make up the microstructure turn into monoclinic. The volume expansion is followed by compressive stress which prevents the propagation of cracks.

Completely yttria-stabilized zirconia (Y-TZP) with about 8 mol percent Y2O3 can be achieved. Because of the increased homogeneity of the powders and the smaller particle size of the zirconia and Y2O3 additive, 5 and 3 mol percent of Y2O3 was adequate for complete stabilisation with the advancement of powder technologies. Currently, an addition of 3 mol percent of Y2O3 to produce stabilized tetragonal zirconia powder, or polycristals (3Y-TZP), is commercially available as nanopowder and is often used in the production of sintered zirconia.

Zirconia is often produced with the help of decomposition agents via the decomposition of zircon (ZrSiO4) and followed by a purification phase. Specifics of the process depend on the existence and desired properties of the raw materials. Low-temperature high-purity zirconia tetragonal can be produced using a special technique called the sol – gel process. The sol – gel cycle usually involves acid dissolving a salt of zirconium accompanied by nucleation and development of zirconia. So the sol – gel technique is used to produce nanosized zirconia by controlling the growth of the particles. Other chemical techniques are available for preparing zirconia, but are not covered in this book. One of the benefits of the sol – gel process is that it can integrate additives, such as Y2O3, during the process. Therefore a high degree of homogeneity and particle size regulation is achieved which helps to stabilize tetragonal zirconia.

 

In the mid-1980s MgO-PSZ was introduced as a bioceramic for the production of ball heads to replace total hips. Better wear resistance, strength of bending, and toughness of fracture were obtained compared with alumina. By comparison, the large grain size of the sintered substance (40–50 μm) increases the wear rate of the acetabular portion of polyethylene. Thus yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia ball heads were added, as the sintered product's submicron grain size greatly improves wear properties.

The manufacturing process of yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia involves a precise and complicated heat treatment program which ensures precipitation of the tetragonal acicular phase at the cubic phase's grain boundaries. The durability of zirconia was found to be highly dependent on these processing conditions. Furthermore, the environmental conditions the implant faces also affect zirconia stability. Explicitly, the zirconia implant surface is exposed to the implant 's body (synovial) fluid, which causes implant degradation at low temperatures (LTD). LTD is the monoclinic phase increase that contributes dramatically to the ruggedness improvement. The LTD impact can be minimized by over-stabilizing the tetragonal process by a small rise in the stabiliser. In the other hand, improved stability does not impede the TT and the mechanical properties should be that accordingly. These complexities pose a minor downside for the operation. The production of zirconia balls has since been slowly reduced [8, 9].

 

Properties of zirconia

An excess of raw materials such as zirconia minerals (ZrSiO4) and baddeleyite (β-ZrO2) can be found in nature for the manufacture of zirconia (about 0.02 percent of the earth's crust). Big zirconia deposits are present in Brazil as baddeleyte while they can be found in Australia and India as ZrSiO4.

Zirconium is a transition metal element, and as a white and ductile metal it has a pure crystalline shape and as a blue-black powder it has an amorphous form. Even as expanding, it is the 18th element in the earth 's crust, zirconium can be present in nature either in association with silicate oxides or as free oxide. Zirconia takes place in three phases: monoclinical (m), cubic (c), and tetragonal (t). The monoclinic phase is stable up to 1170 ° C in pure ZrO2; but the transformation on cooling appears under 1170 ° C at 100 ° C. When it cools down it has 3-4 per cent volumetric expansion. The cracks may appear as this change in volume is enough to exceed the ZrO2 elastic limit. Passerini and Ruff et al., quoted by Lughi V, found that by alloying it with other cubic oxides, called stabilizers, zirconia can remain stable at room temperatures. Until now, the most widely used stabilisers for the application of biomaterials are CaO, MgO, Y2O3 and CeO2, but only ZrO2-Y2O3 has a norm of self-ISO for surgical use[10].

Biocompatibility

No local or systemic cytotoxic symptoms or allergic reactions have been observed after detailed biocompatibility tests of the zirconia. It has been shown acceptable for the bone response of zirconia in vivo and for the inflammation adjacent to zirconia. Additionally, bacteria and pathogen appear to adhere just as much to zirconia as other materials do[11].

Optical characteristics

The most important components of presentation of an esthetic tooth are: light, fluorescence, opalescence and translucency. One big downside of restorations of complete contour zirconia is its opacity[12].

Translucency

Colored zirconia with improved translucency has been developed recently to precisely match human teeth colours. The new material's flexural strength is 900-1400 MPa, and has a crack tolerance of up to 6 MPam 1/2. Such conveniences have made it widely used by the Zirconia for inlateral applications of crowns and bridges. It is necessary to replicate the translucency of the natural tooth for excellent esthetics, since it provides an enchanting natural appearance of the prothetics. Translucency is the property of the surface which allows the passage of light and its dispersion, and then the objects are not clearly seen through the material. This property could be defined as a state between total obscurity and transparency. Translucency can be controlled by monitoring light absorption, reflection, and propagation through the material. The translucency is higher when there is low resistance and fast transmission. It has been stated in a few studies that translucency is influenced by the thickness of the layer and by the grain size [13].

X-ray opacity

Dental restorative materials have varying degrees of opacity and provides useful diagnostic information. The zirconia may be added in composite materials for dental filling because it represents an opaque X-ray agent. In a research conducted to assess zirconia's X-ray hardness, four different materials (pure titanium, NANOZR, Y-TZP, alumina plates) were measured against an X-ray agent with the same thickness (0,2-2 mm) and human tooth. Y-TZP and NANOZR have been found to exhibit increased opacity[14].

Wear behavior

It is important to determine the wear behaviour of monolithic zirconia restorations, but the wear of the enamel of natural antagonists teeth in comparison to the zirconia material is of greater clinical importance[15].

 

A natural occurrence of human dentition is gradual wearing of teeth. Many factors contribute to the dental wear such as diet, bruxism, strength of the oral muscles, thickness and toughness of enamel, pH and quality of saliva and dental content. Each of these variables have specific wear habits that often change the wear cycle. If we use restorative fabrics with specific wear rates, the physiological wear is changed [16].

 

Processing methods

 

CAD / CAM components used in dental restorations are typically totally or partly sintered blocks and disks. The state of those blocks and disks differentiates dental restoration manufacturing.

With two different methods, dental prosthetic restorations made from zirconia can be achieved using the CAD-CAM technology [17].

In the first technique, the prothetic restorations are milled from already sintered zirconia blocks, which means that there is no shrinkage to the final structure, but there are certain disadvantages, such as the reduced lifespan of the burs, due to their high wear and the numerous flaws that occur during the machining process, which can diminish the mechanical properties of the final prothesis. In this process, at temperatures below 15000C, the Y-TZP blocks are subjected to a first sinterization, increasing their density. Then, in an inert gas atmosphere, the blocks are subjected to high pressure at the same temperatures, which allows the obtaining of a very high density of more than 99 % of the theoretical one [18].

In the second method, the zirconia prothesis is milled from a block, replicating the final prothesis shape but with larger dimensions, thus compensating for the shrinkage after sintering.

The structure of an oversized zirconia (Zirkonzahn Ice Zirkon Translucent) after milling is shown in Figure 2.

The ceramics are then fired and the structure contracts to the final level. After a cold pressing process, which compacts the zirconia powders, the non-sintered zirconia blanks lead. Through this way we obtain a very low pore size and a strong part distribution inside the blank . The next step is the machining of various metal solutions (cerium, bismuth, iron or a combination of them) by immersion and the coloring of the restorations. As it passes through the last phase of sintering the color develops. The concentration of the solution has a direct influence on the final shade. A satisfactory coloring can be achieved by concentrations as low as 0.01mol percent. For a good result, we must follow the instructions of the manufacturer as the final sintering temperature influences the color obtained. At the end of the sintering process, the zirconia frame acquires its final mechanical properties when it undergoes a contraction of about 25 per cent, which means it returns to its correct dimensions. It is imperative to know the exact volume shrinkage information for each blank block of zirconia to optimize the fit of the restore. The vast majority of blocks have barcodes which give the computer information about the density of the milling block and so we can over-size the frame appropriately [19].

Milled frame of bulky zirconia, separated from the blank, can be seen in Figure 3. In the final stages, sintering is mandatory to remove any tension caused by the operation of surface milling and to obtain the required density.

A multilayer coating technique is used to veneer zirconia frame with compatible ceramics to create an aesthetic look of the zirconia ceramic reconstruction. Figure 4 displays the layers of Zirkonzahn Ice Zirkon Ceramics added (Ceramic Dentine A1, Ceramic Enamel S1, Ceramic Transpa Neutral)

 

Upon application of glaze and stain materials (Glaze Plus, stain-colored tissue and stain-colored Prettau A1) on fired ceramic layers (Ice Zirkon Ceramics) a final prothetic repair is obtained as shown in Figure 5[17,18]



 

 Uses of zirconia

Although there are currently many types of zirconia-containing ceramic systems available, so far only three are used in dentistry. These are polycrystals of yttrium cation doped tetragonal zirconia (3Y-TZP), partially stabilized magnesium cation doped zirconia (Mg-PSZ) and zirconiatoughened alumina (ZTA)

 

Dental posts located in Zirconia

Development of new post materials (Figure 6) has begun the requirement for more esthetic posts, especially under all ceramic restorations. In situations where all-ceramic restorations are used to restore anterior teeth, metal posts can lead to unfavorable esthetic results, such as a gray discoloration of translucent all-ceramic crowns and the gingival margin around them. In addition, prefabricated corrosive reactions can cause complications involving the surrounding tissues and oral environment, including metal taste, oral burning, sensitization, oral pain, and other reactions. These issues led to white or translucent posts made of zirconia and other ceramic materials being created [20].





 

Crown and Bridge, Zirconia

Often used was the manufacture of zirconia structures for crown and bridge of either presintered or strongly isostatic pressed zirconia, as seen in (Figure 7). Zirconia systems deliver new insights in metal-free partial fixed dentures and single tooth reconstructions due to the high flexural power of more than 900 MPa of zirconium and showed positive initial clinical results[21].

 


 Implant abutments located in Zirconia

This allowed clinicians to expand their demand for implant-supported restorations as a result of using the zirconia ceramics for the manufacture of tooth-supported restorations (Figure 8). The use of zirconia as implant-supported restorations is due to the greater durability and lower zirconia elasticity modulus. Zirconia has some benefits over alumina in stable and converted ways in order to overcome the issue of alumina fragility and the consequent possible implant failure. These abutments are distinguished by their color matching the tooth, their good compatibility with the tissue and their lower accumulation of plaques[22].


 

Esthetic orthodontic brackets, based in Zirconia

In addition to the previously mentioned dental applications, zirconia was also used for the manufacture of esthetic orthodontic brackets. Polycrystalline zirconia brackets have been offered as an alternative to alumina ceramic brackets, which are reported to have the greatest toughness among all ceramics. They are cheaper than the ceramic brackets of monocrystalline alumina but they are very reflective and can display intrinsic colors making them less attractive. For both stainless steel and nickel-titanium archwires, strong sliding properties were identified along with decreased plaque adhesion, clinically appropriate bond strengths and loci of bond failure at the bracket / adhesive interface. Keith et al., however, found no significant advantage of zirconia brackets over polycrystalline alumina brackets in terms of their frictional properties[23].

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

References

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11-  Kenneth JA . Dental Ceramics . In: Kenneth JA , Chiayi S , Ralph R , editors. Phillips Science of dental materials . Elsevier ; 2013 . pp. 418 – 473

12-  Al-Juaila E, Osman E, Segaan L, Shrebaty M, Farghaly EA. Comparison of translucency for different thicknesses of recent types of esthetic zirconia ceramics versus conventional ceramics (in vitrostudy) Future Dental Journal. 2018

13-  Tuncel I, Turp I, Üşümez A. Evaluation of translucency of monolithic zirconia and framework zirconia materials. J AdvProsthodont. 2016;8(3):181–186.

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18-  Cavalcanti AN, Foxton RM, Watson TF, Oliveira MT, Giannini M, Marchi GM. Y-TZP Ceramics:Key Concepts for Clinical Application. Oper Dent. 2009;34(3):344–351

19-  Russell AG. Building Blocks. An overview of the various types of machinable blocks for laboratory-based CAD/CAM systems. Inside Dental Technology. 2011;2(5)

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22-  Yildirim M, Edelhoff D, Hanisch O, et al. Ceramic abutments--a new era in achieving optimal esthetics in implant dentistry. Int J Periodont Restor Dent 2000; 20: 81-91.

23-  Keith O, Kusy RP, Whitley JQ. Zirconia brackets: an evaluation of morphology and coefficients of friction. Am J Orthod Dentofacial Ortho 1994; 106: 605-14.

 

 

 


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