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Ceramic materials for porcelain veneers. Part I: Correlation between translucency parameters and contrast ratio
Karine T L Barizon1, Cathia Bergeron, Marcos A Vargas
1Assistant Professor, Department of Restorative Dentistry, University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine, Aurora, Colo.
The contrast ratio (CR) and translucency parameter (TP) strongly correlate, showing a decreasing relationship. This indicates either CR or TP can effectively measure ceramic translucency for clinical comparison.
Area of Science:
- Dental Materials Science
- Optical Properties of Ceramics
Background:
- Inconsistent parameters for ceramic translucency hinder clinical understanding and study comparison.
- Standardizing translucency measurement is crucial for dental ceramics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the correlation between contrast ratio (CR) and translucency parameter (TP).
- To compare the translucency of various ceramic systems using CR and TP.
Main Methods:
- Fabricated ceramic disks (13mm diameter, 0.7mm thickness) from VITA VM9, VITA PM9, IPS Empress CAD, IPS e.max CAD, IPS e.max Press, and Lava Zirconia.
- Measured luminous reflectance and CIE L* a* b* color coordinates using a tristimulus colorimeter.
- Calculated CR and TP from reflectance measurements on black and white backings.
Main Results:
- A statistically significant correlation (P<.001) was observed between CR and TP across all ceramic specimens.
- A strong negative correlation (coefficient of -0.99) demonstrated an inverse relationship between CR and TP.
Conclusions:
- Contrast ratio (CR) and translucency parameter (TP) are both reliable metrics for assessing ceramic translucency.
- Either CR or TP can be utilized to evaluate and compare the relative translucency of dental ceramic systems.
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