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Published on: December 20, 2024
Influence of piston material on the fatigue behavior of a glass-ceramic
Katia R Weber1, Daniel E Meneghetti2, Paula Benetti3
1PhD student, Post-Graduation Program in Dentistry, Dental School, University of Passo Fundo (UPF), Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil.
Statement Of Problem:
The lack of standardization regarding the loading piston material used in fatigue tests could limit the interpretation of study findings.
Purpose:
The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the effect of the piston material on the fatigue behavior of a lithium disilicate glass-ceramic.
Material And Methods:
Plate-shaped, 1.2-mm-thick, lithium disilicate glass-ceramic specimens were cemented onto a dentin analog substrate with resin cement. The specimens were divided into 4 groups according to the piston material used in the fatigue test (n=30): metal, glass fiber-reinforced epoxy resin, ceramic, and human tooth. The fatigue test was performed in a mechanical cycling machine by using the boundary technique at 2 Hz in distilled water at 37 °C. The fatigue data were analyzed by using the Weibull distribution and a lifetime-inverse power law relationship. Failures were evaluated with fractography and transillumination.
Results:
The Weibull modulus (β) was similar among groups. The exponent of crack growth (n) was significantly greater for glass fiber-reinforced epoxy resin and tooth groups than for metal and ceramic; therefore, the probability of failure (Pf) of glass-ceramic specimens loaded by resin and tooth pistons depended more on load amplitude. Specimens tested with tooth showed the highest value of K (characteristic lifetime), which is an indication of greater survival. Radial crack was the only failure mode observed for all experimental groups.
Conclusions:
The piston material influenced the fatigue survival of the lithium disilicate glass-ceramic. The glass fiber-reinforced epoxy resin piston closely simulated the fatigue behavior induced by the human tooth on the evaluated glass-ceramic.
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