Effects of dental porcelain containing silver nanoparticles on static fatigue.

The purpose of this study was to clarify the effect of silver nanoparticles on the behavior of subcritical crack growth (SCG) in dental porcelains. Prior to occurrence of fast fracture in dental porcelains, SCG occurs and leads to strength degradation over time. SCG in dental porcelains can be characterized by the stress corrosion susceptibility coefficient, n. A higher n value means a higher resistance to SCG. In this study, porcelain disks were prepared by mixing a commercial dental porcelain powder with different concentrations of silver nanoparticles, and then air-dried and fired according to manufacturer's instructions. Stress corrosion susceptibility coefficients of powder compacts were determined using a post-indentation method. A Vickers indenter was applied to the porcelain surface, and lengths of median cracks were measured at fixed time intervals over a 24-h period to calculate n. Addition of silver nanoparticles significantly increased the stress corrosion susceptibility coefficient of dental porcelain.

Effects of adding silver nanoparticles on the toughening of dental porcelain.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Dental porcelains currently used for ceramic restorations are brittle, and it is sometimes necessary to replace fractured or chipped restorations. Porcelain is fragile and exhibits elastic deformation rather than plastic deformation, leading to fracture or chipping of restorations. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the toughening of porcelain through the addition of silver nanoparticles. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Noritake Super (NS) Porcelain AAA modified with the addition of silver nanoparticles was used. The concentration of silver in the solution was adjusted to 100, 200, 500, and 1000 ppm (Ag100, Ag200, Ag500, and Ag1000). The Vickers hardness (Hv) and median crack length extending from the corner of each indent were measured. The fracture toughness (KIC) was calculated by the indentation method. Optical reflectance spectra were recorded by using a spectrometer in the wavelength range of 200 to 700 nm. X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, color measurement, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and electron probe microanalysis were also performed. The observed values of Hv, 2a, E, and KIC were compared and evaluated with a 1-way ANOVA, followed by the Bonferroni method (α=.05). RESULTS: The addition of silver nanoparticles significantly increased the Hv of all specimens with the exception of Ag100. The median crack length was significantly smaller in Ag500 (104.5 µm, SD: 11.9) and Ag1000 (100.0 µm, SD: 5.5). Significantly higher toughness values were observed for Ag500 (1.54 MPa·m(1/2), SD: 0.05) and Ag1000 (1.51 MPa·m(1/2), SD: 0.08) than for the control (1.36 MPa·m(1/2), SD: 0.03). In terms of color difference, Ag500 (5.08, SD:1.32) and Ag1000 (5.47, SD:1.05) had values significantly greater than ΔE*=2.69. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of silver nanoparticles significantly increased the fracture toughness and Vickers hardness of the NS porcelain. A residual compressive stress was generated due to the ion exchange reaction and differential thermal expansion of the silver metal nanoparticles. However, the addition of Ag500 and Ag1000 nanoparticles led to a color change.

Addition of platinum and silver nanoparticles to toughen dental porcelain.

Several studies have investigated toughening porcelain that is layered over a frame or a core. The introduction of residual compressive stress to the surface of porcelain has been shown to be effective to strengthen it. In the present study, nanoparticles of precious metals of silver and platinum (rather than non-precious metals) were used to evaluate if they could increase the fracture resistance of porcelain. The addition of silver and platinum nanoparticles was found to improve the mechanical properties of porcelain since it increased both the Young's modulus and the fracture toughness of commercial porcelain.

Toughening of CAD/CAM all-ceramic crowns by staining slurry.

The ability of staining slurries containing silver and/or potassium compounds to enhance the mechanical properties of a leucite-reinforced glass ceramic (IPS Empress CAD) was investigated by measuring the Vickers hardness, median crack length, toughness, and compressive residual stress of specimens. A staining slurry containing potassium ions was found to increase the toughness of IPS specimens more than a staining slurry containing only silver ions when applied prior to sintering. None of the staining slurries produced any color changes. Thus, the results obtained in this study demonstrate that staining slurries increase the Vickers hardness and the fracture toughness of the surface and subsurface regions of all-ceramic IPS blocks fabricated by a CAD/CAM system without sacrificing their aesthetics.

Superplastic deformation in carbonate apatite ceramics under constant compressive loading for near-net-shape production of bioresorbable bone substitutes.

To produce carbonate apatite (CAP) ceramics with the desired complex shapes using superplastic deformation, deformation behavior of CAP ceramics under constant loading as well as physical properties after deformation were evaluated. Sintered CAP ceramics were plastically deformed in an electric furnace attached to a universal hydraulic testing machine under a constant load. CAP ceramics subjected to an initial compressive pressure of 10 MPa showed an appreciable amount of plastic deformation at temperatures ranging from 720 to 800 degrees C. Plastic deformation increased with increasing temperature from about 10% to 70% after two hours of loading. X-ray diffraction analysis and SEM observation further revealed that some CAP crystals were elongated and aligned with the c-axis normal to the loading direction during superplastic deformation. It was thus concluded that a marked plastic deformation of about 70% at 800 degrees C would be sufficient for near-net-shape production of bioresorbable CAP bone substitutes with complex shapes.

Development of self-setting Te-Cp/alpha-TCP cement for pulpotomy.

As an alternative to calcium hydroxide used as a direct capping agent, calcium phosphate cement that consisted of tetracalcium phosphate and alpha-tricalcium phosphate (Te-CP/alpha-TCP) at different molar ratios was developed with a one-step method, in which heating was performed only one time. Alkalinity could be adjusted easily by changing the Te-CP/alpha-TCP ratio, whereby the mixing ratio of simple chemicals such as calcium carbonate and dicalcium phosphate dihydrate was changed. When mixed with a solution of 1 mol/L sodium dihydrogen phosphate, the cement set forming carbonate-containing apatite in revised, simulated body fluid (R-SBF)--which served to mimic the tissue fluid in dental pulp. The pH of the solution never exceeded 8.0 in the presence of the set cement even after about one month of storage. In contrast, with calcium hydroxide, the pH of R-SBF reached almost 12.0 on day 1 and remained at that value till the end of immersion. These findings clearly suggested that with Te-CP/alpha-TCP cement, its alkalinity would never exceed that of calcium hydroxide and that it would provide a mildly alkaline environment.