Damage and reliability of Y-TZP after cementation surface treatment

Zirconia-based restorations are widely used in prosthetic dentistry, but their susceptibility to post-sintering cementation surface treatments remains controversial. We hypothesized that grinding (600-grit) and alumina abrasion (50 μm, 5 sec, 0.5 MPa) affect the damage modes and reliability of zirconia core material. Monolithic CAD/CAM-machined and sintered Y-TZP plates (0.5 mm thickness) were adhesively cemented to dentin-like composite substrates. Uni-axial mouth-motion cyclic contact was applied through a tungsten carbide spherical indenter (r = 3.18 mm). Results showed that zirconia core ceramic is vulnerable to lower surface radial fracture after grinding or alumina abrasion, while the as-received control chiefly fractured from load-application surface cone fracture. Significantly lower reliability of ground and alumina-abraded compared with the as-received zirconia core ceramic can be attributed to damage induced on the cementation surface. Clinical relevance concerning surface treatment protocols for zirconia framework materials prior to cementation is addressed.