[A mechanical study on new ceramic crowns and bridges for clinical use]

By the recent development of new ceramics, i.e. castable glass ceramics and high strength porcelain, the clinical use of all-ceramic bridges as well as all-ceramic crowns have been expected. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the mechanical properties of new ceramics and to analyze the stress distributions in new ceramic crowns and bridges. The Young's modulus, flexural strength and diametral tensile strength of four types of new ceramics (DICOR, BIORAM-C, OPTEC, and HI-CERAM) were measured, and the fracture loads of new ceramic anterior crowns and bridges on the metal abutments were evaluated. Three dimensional finite element analyses of new ceramic anterior crowns and bridges were also carried out to investigate the effects of various mechanical factors; locations of loading point, types of ceramics, thickness of crowns, luting materials, core materials, and designs of fixed joints. In each experiment, the loading forces were applied at 45 degree to the tooth axis. The results were summarized as follow; 1) DICOR showed the highest flexural strength. HI-CERAM hard core porcelain showed the highest Young's modulus and tensile strength. 2) HI-CERAM crowns showed the highest fracture load among the new ceramic crowns. DICOR bridges were significantly stronger than BIORAM-C bridges. The stress analyses of the experimental cases indicated that the fractures of crowns and bridges occurred by the concentration of tensile stresses. 3) By the load at the incisal edge, the highest tensile stresses were caused in the crown. In the crown with 0.5 mm thickness at axial wall, high tensile stresses were observed at more wide regions of palatal side than in the crown with 0.75 mm or 1 mm thickness. However, in the case with an enamel layer remained on the surface of the abutment tooth, the stresses were reduced in spite of the crown thickness. When the abutment tooth was restored with a metal post and core, the stresses of the crown decreased in comparison with the natural abutment tooth. 4) In case of bridges, high tensile stresses concentrated at the fixed joints under any loading point. The stresses tended to rise slightly according to the increase of the Young's modulus of bridges. The aluminous core material which had high Young's modulus was effective for the reduction of the stresses at the surface of the bridge. Those tensile stresses were reduced remarkably by increasing the thickness of the fixed joints toward the labial and vertical side.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)