Thermal induced deflection of a porcelain-zirconia bilayer: Influence of cooling rate.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the thermal expansion of a porcelain (VM9) and tetragonal zirconia (Y-TZP) as well as the deflection upon re-heating and cooling of a bilayer fabricated from these two materials after slow and rapid cooling during initial fabrication. METHODS: The coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of bulk porcelain and Y-TZP as well as bilayer beam deflection was measured with a novel non-contact optical dilatometer. The influence of cooling rate during initial fabrication of the porcelain-zirconia bilayer and the bulk porcelain during subsequent heating and cooling is investigated. Specimens were heated to 900°C in the dilatometer, well in excess of the glass transition temperature (Tg) and softening temperature (Ts) of the porcelain. RESULTS: The thermal expansion of the porcelain above Tg exhibits a threefold increase in CTE over that observed below Tg. Observations of the bilayer deflection reflect the difference in the CTE of the component materials and enable Tg and Ts temperatures for the porcelain to be estimated. Initial cooling rate of the porcelain and porcelain-YTZP bilayer was found to have a profound influence on the subsequent response to slow reheating and cooling as well as the resultant residual deflection. SIGNIFICANCE: The estimation of the residual stress and potential for chipping of porcelain-zirconia dental restorative systems should not be based solely on thermal expansion data measured below Tg.

Corrosion of dental aluminium bronze in neutral saline and saline lactic acid.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the corrosion behaviours of two aluminium bronze, dental casting alloys during a standard immersion test and for immersion in neutral saline. METHODS: Cast specimens of aluminium bronzes with 1.4 wt% Fe (G) and 4 wt% Fe (N) were subject to progressively longer periods (up to in total 7 days) immersed in 0.1 M saline, 0.1 M lactic acid solutions and examined by scanning electron microscopy with EDX analysis. Immersion in 0.1M neutral saline was for 7 days. RESULTS: In the acidic solution, exposed interdendritic volumes in alloy N corroded completely away in 7 days with dissolution of Ni-enriched precipitate species as well as the copper-rich matrix. Alloy G begins to corrode more slowly but by a similar mechanism. The number density of an Fe-enriched species is insufficient to maintain a continuous galvanic potential to the copper matrix, and dissolution becomes imperceptible. In neutral saline solution, galvanic action alone caused pit-etching, without the dissolution of either precipitate species. SIGNIFICANCE: The upper limit for the total dissolution of metallic ions in the standard immersion test can be set at 200 microg cm(-2). Aluminium bronze dental alloys can be expected to release both copper and nickel ions into an acidic oral environment.

Dimensional change following setting of root canal sealer materials.

OBJECTIVE: The study was designed to evaluate a method proposed for measuring dimensional changes of endodontic sealers, and to assess the dimensional changes of 11 commercial sealers after prolonged storage in water. METHODS: The method for linear dimensional change described in the draft standard for endodontic sealers was applied to 11 different types of endodontic sealers. One material (Sealapex) could not be tested by the method. The other 10 materials were followed for dimensional change over 48 weeks. RESULTS: The sealers showed markedly different dimensional properties. For most materials, the greatest dimensional changes took place within the first 4 weeks. Zinc-oxide-eugenol based sealers generally showed shrinkage ranging from 0.3 to 1%, while one product (Proco-Sol) exhibited expansion exceeding 6% after prolonged storage. The epoxy-based materials, AH 26 and AH 26 silverfree, exhibited a large, initial expansion of 4-5%. AH Plus expanded from 0.4% after 4 weeks up to 0.9%. Apexit, a Ca(OH)2-based material, showed only minor variation round baseline value, -0.14 to +0.19%. Roeko-Seal expanded to 0.2% within 4 weeks, but was stable thereafter. SIGNIFICANCE: The test methodology adequately assessed dimensional changes exceeding +/-0.2%, but some brands of material either could not be made into adequate test specimens or showed surface changes which interfered with dimensional change measurements. Theoretical approaches to the consequences of expansion by materials of low bulk strength question the necessity of a strict requirement against expansion, whereas bacterial penetration may be a real threat from sealers shrinking as little as 1%.