Effect of various lasers on the bond strength of two zirconia ceramics.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare and evaluate the effects of various laser systems on surface roughness and shear bond strengths of zirconia ceramics. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Seventy-two ceramic discs (10 mm×2 mm) obtained from two sintered zirconia ceramics (Zirkonzahn, Zirkonzahn Prettau(®)) were divided into two groups (n=36) according to the computer-aided design (CAD)-computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) technique and then further divided into three groups (n=12). Each group was treated with one of the following: (1) femtosecond (FS), (2) Nd:YAG (NY), and (3) Er:YAG (EY) lasers. After laser irradiation, a scanning electron micrograph (SEM) was taken at 500× magnification for qualitative examination. Following surface roughness measurement by profilometry, resin cement (Rely X U200) was bonded to the ceramic specimens using Teflon tubes (3 mm height, 4 mm diameter). Specimens were stored in distilled water at 37°C for 24 h and then thermal cycled for 5000 cycles. A shear bond strength (MPa) test was performed using a universal testing machine at a crosshead speed of 1 mm/min. Data were analyzed by two way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey honest significant difference (HSD) tests for pairwise comparisons among groups (p=0.05). RESULTS: MPa and roughness were significantly affected by laser type (p<0.001), and there was no significant interaction between the two zircon ceramics. The group irradiated with FS laser had significantly higher (p<0.05) roughness and MPa mean values than those of the other groups. No significant difference was found between the groups irradiated with NY and EY laser (p>0.05). In the SEM, the surfaces of the FS group were rougher than those of the NY and EY groups. NY and EY surfaces were nearly smooth. CONCLUSIONS: FS laser is an effective surface treatment for roughening surfaces of zirconia ceramics. Furthermore, it reveals the highest MPa.

Evaluation of the marginal fit of full ceramic crowns by the microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) technique.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the marginal gap (MG) and absolute marginal discrepancy (MD) of full ceramic crowns with two finish line designs, shoulder and chamfer, using microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) before and after cementation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty extracted human maxillary premolar teeth were divided into two groups based on the finish line design: Group I: 90° shoulder and Group II: 135° chamfer. The specimens were further grouped based on the type of full ceramic crown they received: Group A: Feldspathic Cerec inLab ceramic system, Group B: Cerec inLab aluminum oxide ceramic system and Group C: Lithium disilicate press ceramic system. Before cementation, five crowns from each group were scanned using micro-CT in two sections, sagittal and coronal, to determine the MG and MD values for four regions of the crown (sagittal buccal, sagittal lingual, coronal mesial and coronal distal). After cementation and thermal cycling, the scanning was repeated. Measurements were obtained from 10 points for each region, 80 points totally, to evaluate the MG and MD values. Files were processed using NRecon and CTAn software. Results were statistically analyzed using one- and two-way ANOVA and Tukey HSD tests (P = 0.05). RESULTS: Full ceramic systems showed clinically acceptable marginal adaptation values. The Feldspathic Cerec inLab ceramic system generally presented the lowest variance, except in the MG values of the coronal mesial region. The MG and MD values of all ceramics increased significantly after cementation, except in the shoulder preparation design (sagittal buccal region) for MG and in the chamfer preparation design (sagittal lingual region) for MD values. CONCLUSIONS: Full-ceramic crowns showed clinically acceptable marginal adaptation values. The Feldspathic Cerec inLab ceramic system (Vitablocs Mark II) generally presented the lowest variance when compared with the other ceramics, except for the MG values on the mesial surface of the coronal section.

Craniofacial implant-retained auricular prosthesis: a case report.

Implants provide patients with a safe and reliable method for anchoring auricular prostheses that enable restoration of their normal appearance and offer improved quality of life. In this case report, an auricular prosthesis was fabricated for a patient who had lost his right external ear in a traffic accident. Extraoral implants and bar-and-clip retention for the proper connection of the auricular prosthesis to the implant were used.