Bonding to zirconia ceramic: adhesion methods and their durability

Area of Science:

• Dental Materials Science
• Biomaterials Engineering
• Ceramic Science

Background:

• Standard resin bonding methods are ineffective for yttrium-oxide partially-stabilized zirconia (YPSZ).
• Developing reliable adhesive strategies for YPSZ is crucial for dental restorations.
• This study investigated novel bonding approaches for YPSZ based on alumina ceramic protocols.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test the hypothesis that adhesive bonding methods successful for alumina ceramic could bond to YPSZ.
• To evaluate the tensile bond strength and durability of various adhesive protocols on YPSZ.
• To identify effective resin systems for achieving durable bonds with YPSZ.

Main Methods:

• YPSZ discs were bonded with resin composite using seven different adhesion protocols.
• Tensile bond strength was assessed after short-term (3 days) and long-term (150 days) storage.
• Long-term samples underwent extensive thermal cycling to simulate clinical conditions.

Main Results:

• Sandblasting, silane treatment, or acrylizing alone led to bond failure over time.
• Tribochemical silica coating with BisGMA resin or sandblasting with polyacid-modified resin showed significant bond degradation.
• Only resin composites containing a special phosphate monomer, combined with sandblasting, achieved a durable bond to YPSZ.

Conclusions:

• Durable resin bonding to YPSZ is achievable exclusively with resin composites containing specific adhesive monomers.
• The hypothesis was partially supported: similar resin composites bonded durably to both YPSZ and alumina.
• Tribochemical silica coating proved ineffective for durable YPSZ bonding, unlike its performance with alumina.