Nondestructive estimation of the strength of dental ceramic materials.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to prove a nondestructive method to evaluate the strength of dental ceramic materials with respect to its potentiality and limitations.


METHODS
The Young's moduli of 13 dental ceramic materials were determined by the resonance frequency method. Additionally, the flexural strengths of eight of these materials were evaluated by the four-point bending test. Strength values for the other five ceramic materials were taken from the literature. The Young's moduli were correlated with the strength values by Hook's law, respectively.


RESULTS
Young's modulus for ceramics can be determined using a resonance frequency method. Fracture strain values of the ceramic materials tested (with the exception of Empress 2) have fracture strain values between 0.08 and 0.15%. A mean strain can be calculated (0.11%) and used with the value of Young's modulus to estimate fracture strength of ceramics. For the materials evaluated, predicted strength was within 39% of the measured values.


CONCLUSIONS
A non-destructive method to estimate strength of dental ceramic materials is possible, even though the accuracy of the predicted values is not very high. Nevertheless, the method permits new materials proposed for dental ceramic restorations to be screened for probable clinical success. Expensive and time-consuming testing would only need to be done on those materials which pass this initial criterion.
Fischer
H
H
University of Technology Aachen, Lehr- und Forschungsgebiet Zahnärztliche Werkstoffkunde, Klinik für Zahnärztliche Prothetik, Pauwelsstrasse 30, D-52074 Aachen, Germany. h.fischer@rwth-aachen.de
Dautzenberg
G
G
Marx
R
R
D000465:Algorithms; D000537:Aluminum Oxide / Q000737:chemistry; D000538:Aluminum Silicates / Q000737:chemistry; D002516:Ceramics / Q000737:chemistry*; D003764:Dental Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D003776:Dental Porcelain / Q000737:chemistry*; D004548:Elasticity; D004578:Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D008422:Materials Testing; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D018583:Pliability; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013499:Surface Properties
D000538:Aluminum Silicates; D003764:Dental Materials; C095718:Duceram; C075815:IPS-Empress ceramic; C111324:vitadur alpha omega; D003776:Dental Porcelain; C073101:Optec; C074543:Cerec; C070870:In-Ceram; D000537:Aluminum Oxide