title: The durability of ceramic coated dental instruments.
abstract: This study investigates the hardness, structure, composition, and thickness of coatings on two dental instruments and the changes which occurred when the instruments were subjected to conditions that closely match their clinical use. One group of instruments had a titanium nitride coating that was approximately 8 micrometers thick and had a hardness of 19.5 GN/m2. The coating on the other instrument was alumina (aluminium oxide) and contained some microcracks even when new; this coating was thicker (approximately 30 micrometers) and had a hardness less than the titanium nitride coating (15.8 GN/m2). The results showed that the titanium nitride coating was structurally superior compared with the aluminium oxide coating. Laboratory wear tests against composite resin showed that the wear resistance of titanium nitride was superior to that of stainless steel whether assessed in terms of weight or volume loss.
authors.affiliation: Department of Conservative Dentistry, King's College Dental Hospital and School, London, UK.
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Rawlings
authors.forename: P B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Rogers
mesh_terms: D000537:Aluminum Oxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D002516:Ceramics / Q000737:chemistry*; D003188:Composite Resins; D003723:Dental Amalgam; D003762:Dental Instruments; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent / Q000295:instrumentation; D003799:Dental Stress Analysis; D004867:Equipment Design; D006244:Hardness; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008422:Materials Testing; D013193:Stainless Steel; D013242:Sterilization; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013499:Surface Properties; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry*; D014465:Ultrasonics
chemical_list: D003188:Composite Resins; D013193:Stainless Steel; C041500:titanium nitride; D003723:Dental Amalgam; D014025:Titanium; D000537:Aluminum Oxide