OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the effect of sintering temperatures on flexural strength, contrast ratio, and grain size of zirconia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Zirconia specimens (Ceramill ZI, Amann Girrbach) were prepared in partially sintered state. Subsequently, the specimens were randomly divided into nine groups and sintered with different final sintering temperatures: 1,300°C, 1,350°C, 1,400°C, 1,450°C, 1,500°C, 1,550°C, 1,600°C, 1,650°C, or 1,700°C with 120 min holding time. Three-point flexural strength (N = 198; n = 22 per group) was measured according to ISO 6872: 2008. The contrast ratio (N = 90; n = 10 per group) was measured according to ISO 2471ISO : 2008. Grain sizes and microstructure of different groups were investigated (N = 9, n = 1 per group) with scanning electron microscope. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA with Scheffé test and Weibull statistics (p < 0.05). Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated between either flexural strength or contrast ratio and sintering temperatures. RESULTS: The highest flexural strength was observed in groups sintered between 1,400°C and 1,550°C. The highest Weibull moduli were obtained for zirconia sintered at 1,400°C and the lowest at 1,700°C. The contrast ratio and the grain size were higher with the higher sintering temperature. The microstructure of the specimens sintered above 1,650°C exhibited defects. Sintering temperatures showed a significant negative correlation with both the flexural strength (r = -0.313, p < 0.001) and the contrast ratio values (r = -0.96, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study showed that the increase in sintering temperature increased the contrast ratio, but led to a negative impact on the flexural strength. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Considering the flexural strength values and Weibull moduli, the sintering temperature for the zirconia tested in this study should not exceed 1,550°C. 20]. In fact, the stability of the complete system consisting both the zirconia framework and the veneering ceramic is of clinical importance.In order to decrease the costs and at the same time overcome the chipping problem, it is possible today to produce zirconia FDPs without veneering ceramic.Such monolithic zirconia FDPs require higher translucency with superior mechanical properties especially when they are to be used in the anterior region. Framework translucency is therefore one of the primary factors with respect to aesthetic properties in the selection of dental materials [21,22]. The translucency of dental ceramic is highly dependent on light scattering [23]. When the majority of light passing through a ceramic is intensely scattered and diffusely reflected, the material would appear opaque. However, if only part of the light is scattered and most of it is diffusely transmitted, the material would appear translucent where Y B was the value with a black background, and Y w was the value with a white background. In all calculations, 0 was considered as totally transparent and 1 as
