Ceramics for Dental Applications: A Review

Abstract

Over the past forty years, the technological evolution of ceramics for dental applications has been remarkable, as new materials and processing techniques are steadily being introduced. The improvement in both strength and toughness has made it possible to expand the range of indications to long-span fixed partial prostheses, implant abutments and implants. The present review provides a state of the art of ceramics for dental applications.

Enhanced reliability of yttria-stabilized zirconia for dental applications

“…In Figure 2, density and apparent porosity are presented for the different presintering temperatures and 50 wt% Cerium nitrate solution. Since the actual content of Ce was impossible to determine a priori, the value of 6,10 g/cm 3 , which corresponds to the theoretical density of 3Y-TZP, was considered as the theoretical density in all the cases. Significantly different densities and porosities were found according to the pre-sintering temperature, while the sintered density did not change noticeably for infiltrated samples.…”

Microstructural evolution and physical behavior of a lithium disilicate glass–ceramic

“…Based on the ratio of glassy-to-crystalline components, the "microstructural phases" attribute can be subcategorized into three groups: (i) predominantly glass-based, (ii) glassy-crystalline, and (iii) polycrystalline [3]. For the "fabricating techniques" attribute, it can be subcategorized into the following groups: (i) powder-liquid condensation, (ii) slip casting, (iii) heat-pressed, and (iv) CAD-CAM machined [4,5]. See Figure 2.…”

“…A polycrystalline ceramic or using the aforementioned terminology, ceramic composite, typically exhibits a 95-99% volume fraction of crystallinity [4]. The conventional view of a polycrystalline-ceramic microstructure is a multiplicity of randomly oriented crystals joined at grain boundaries.…”

“…The most widely used ingredients found in numerous dental glass-ceramics are silicate oxide, aluminum oxide, or zirconium oxide) into glass precursors is rapidly gaining acceptance as the standard of care [4,14]. These newer generations of glass-ceramics are differentiated from the feldspar-leucite glass-ceramics by their elevated strength, increased processing temperatures, improved toughness, and tailored properties for milling machines [2,15,16].…”

Monitoring crystallization in lithium silicate glass-ceramics using 7 Li → 29 Si cross-polarization NMR

“…Owing to their relatively high fracture toughness (2.0-2.7 MPa×m 1/2 ) and flexural strength (350-400 MPa), good chemical durability and low mass density, lithium disilicate glass-ceramics are among the top choices for transparent armor applications and restorative dentistry [1][2][3][4][5]. Their technological value arises from all the above positive combinations of properties plus the possibility of being prepared in opaque, translucent or transparent form, their easy formability into complex shapes and their moderate cost.…”