Porcelain-titanium bonding with a newly introduced, commercially available system

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biomaterials Engineering
• Dental Prosthetics

Background:

• Titanium is a preferred material for dental implants due to its strength, biocompatibility, and cost-effectiveness.
• Poor ceramic-metal bonding remains a significant challenge for porcelain-titanium prostheses.
• Automated systems enable complex substructure fabrication, highlighting the need for improved bonding.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the bond strength of a novel titanium bonding system against a traditional one.
• To evaluate ceramic-metal bond characteristics using delamination crack initiation stress according to ISO 9693:2009.

Main Methods:

• Grade 4 titanium strips were prepared according to ISO 9693:2009 standards.
• Opaque porcelain was bonded and fired using both traditional and new titanium bonding systems.
• Variables included porcelain block dimensions, specimen thickness, off-center loading, and strip reuse; data analyzed via ANOVA and Duncan's test.

Main Results:

• The new titanium bonding system achieved the highest bond strength (41.82 ±5.7 MPa).
• Specimen length (9 mm) and thickness (1.6 mm) influenced bond strength, with new titanium yielding approximately 23 MPa.
• Reused titanium strips with offset loading showed the lowest bond strength (approximately 16 MPa), below the ISO 9693:2009 threshold of 23 MPa.

Conclusions:

• The new commercially available titanium bonding system demonstrates superior bond strength compared to traditional systems.
• This novel system's performance surpasses that of many high-gold alloys, offering a significant advancement in dental prosthetics.
• The improved bonding addresses a key limitation in porcelain-titanium prostheses, enhancing clinical viability.