Investigation of two-body wear behavior of zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate glass-ceramic for biomedical applications; in vitro chewing simulation

Abstract

The aim of this work was to the investigate two-body wear behavior of zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate glass-ceramic and composite resins through in vitro chewing simulation. Two types of glass-ceramics (IPS e.max CAD; lithium disilicate, Vita Suprinity; zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate) and two types of composite resins (Filtek Supreme; nano-filled, Ivoclar Vivadent Heliomolar; micro-filled) were used. All specimens were exposed to two-body wear tests using a dual-axis computer-controlled chewing simulation. Each chewing simulation test procedure, Al₂O₃ ball with a diameter of 6 mm, was used as antagonist material. The mean volume loss and wear depth of all specimens after the chewing tests were determined with use non-contact 3 D profilometer. Zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate Vita Suprinity had significantly higher two-body wear resistance than lithium disilicate IPS e.max CAD glass-ceramic and other composite resins after chewing tests. While Vita Suprinity exhibited a homogeneous crystal microstructure, IPS e.max CAD glass-ceramic exhibited a structure with needle-shaped fine-grained crystals embedded in a glassy matrix. As a result, the homogeneous distribution of zirconia particles into the ceramic material will increase the two-body wear resistance through chewing simulation tests.

Keywords:

• Glass-ceramic
• wear
• zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate
• chewing simulation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).