SiO 2 -Li 2 O-K 2 O-Al 2 O 3 -P 2 O 5 based lithium disilicate glass ceramic was prepared and fabricated into dental crowns. The influence of factors such as pre-crystallization temperature and fabrication technique on the phase formation and morphology of the glass ceramic was investigated. Differential thermal analysis (DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning and transmission electron microscopies (SEM and TEM) were performed to determine the thermal properties, the phase formation and microstructure of the samples, respectively. The composition of lithium disilicate glass ceramic could be fabricated into dental crowns through the hot-pressing and CAD/CAM techniques. Similarities in phase formation have been revealed on the dental crown samples after fabrication by both methods. The dental crown samples fabricated by the CAD/CAM technique exhibited significantly finer needle-like crystals of lithium disilicate. The pre-cerammed ingots and fabrication technique have no significant change on the phase formation; however, they play important roles in changing the morphology of the samples in this study.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.