Effect of Combined Surface Treatments on Surface Roughness and Resin Bond Strength to Y-TZP Ceramic and Nickel–Chromium Metal Alloy

Effect of Surface Treatments with Low-Pressure Plasma on the Adhesion of Zirconia

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of low-pressure plasma on the contact angle, shear bond strength (SBS), and the failure mode of zirconia ceramic. Zirconia specimens were divided into three groups according to the surface treatment methods as follows: sandblasting with aluminum oxide (ZR-C), sandblasting with aluminum oxide and oxygen plasma (ZR-CP), and argon plasma (ZR-P). The contact angle, SBS, and surface characteristics were tested after thermocycling. Data analysis was made using the Kruskal-Wallis test and one-way analysis of variance. Plasma treatment significantly reduced the contact angle (p < 0.001) with the lowest value for the Zr-P group. An increase in oxygen and a decrease in carbon was observed on the zirconia surface in both plasma groups. For the SBS, there were significant differences among the groups (p < 0.018), the Zr-CP group showing the highest bond strength. Mixed failures were the most frequent. Plasma treatment was effective in increasing the wettability, increasing the oxygen/carbon ratio without changing zirconia surface morphology. The sandblasting plus plasma with oxygen group exhibited the highest bond strength.

Current scenario on adhesion to zirconia; surface pretreatments and resin cements: A systematic review

Several methods have been proposed to increase bonding of zirconia with resin. However, we are still to find the Holy Grail. A systematic literature review was performed through PubMed on international literature from January 2000 to May 2021 with relevant Medical Subject Headings terms. 56 articles were found to be relevant. Of all the different methods proposed, mechanochemical pretreatment of zirconia surface with alumina oxide and use of 10-methacryloyloxydecyl dihydrogen phosphate were found to be most effective as per majority of studies. New methods that require further research also surfaced.

Evaluation of Surface Roughness of a Ni-Cr Alloy Treated With the Nd/YAG Laser and the Sandblast Technique

Introduction: This study was to assess the effect of various output parameters of laser treatment on roughening the surface of a commercial nickel-chromium (Ni-Cr) alloy as compared to the sandblasting technique. Materials and Methods: Ninety-six disk-shaped (5 mm diameter and 2 mm thickness) specimens in total were made of a nickel-chromium alloy by using the lost-wax technique. Air-abrasion surface treatment was used for sixteen specimens. Specimens were divided into six groups; one of them was sandblasted and the rest were irradiated by different Nd:YAG laser output parameters as follows: Group A: energy: 122 mJ, frequency: 20 Hz, irradiation duration: 20 seconds, spot size: 1.5 mm; Group B: energy: 122 mJ, frequency: 20 Hz, irradiation duration: 20 seconds, spot size: 3.5 mm; Group C: energy: 122 mJ, frequency: 10 Hz, irradiation duration: 20 seconds, spot size: 3.5 mm; Group D: energy: 102 mJ, frequency: 10 Hz, irradiation duration: 20 seconds, spot size: 3 mm; Group E: energy: 102 mJ, frequency: 20 Hz, irradiation duration: 20 seconds, spot size: 3 mm. The surface roughness of all surface-treated specimens was evaluated by using a profilometer, and their average roughness (Ra) was calculated. The average value of each group was analyzed by t test and one-way ANOVA (SPSS 17). Results: Significant differences (P<0.05) were observed between the study groups. The highest Ra was achieved for the sandblasted group. The Ra value in group C was the highest value among the laser-etched groups. Conclusion: Based on the results, Nd:YAG laser irradiation increases surface roughness, but it is not as efficient as the sandblasting method as a gold standard.

Adhesion to Zirconia: A Systematic Review of Surface Pretreatments and Resin Cements

This systematic review aims to evaluate the different pretreatments of the zirconia surface and resin cement in order to determine a valid operative protocol for adhesive cementation. Methodologies conducted for this study followed the Prisma (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) guidelines. An electronic search was performed in four databases. The established focus question was: “What type of surface conditioning method is the one that obtains the best adhesion values to zirconia over time by applying a resin cement?” Forty-five relevant papers were found to qualify for final inclusion. In total, 260 different surface pretreatment methods, mainly combinations of air-abrasion protocols and adhesive promoters, were investigated. Altogether, the use of two artificial aging methods, three types of cement and four testing methods was reported. The results showed that mechanicochemical surface pretreatments offered the best adhesive results. Self-adhesive cement and those containing 10-MDP obtained the best results in adhesion to zirconia. Artificial aging reduced adhesion, so storage in water for 30 days or thermocycling for 5000 cycles is recommended. A standardized adhesive protocol has not been established due to a lack of evidence

Effect of silica coating and laser treatment on the flexural strength, surface characteristics, and bond strength of a dental zirconia

This study investigated the effect of irradiation with an erbium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet (Er:YAG) laser and coating with silica on the surface characteristics, bond strength, and flexural strength of dental zirconia. Three hundred and forty-three standard zirconia specimens were created, and 49 were assigned to each of seven surface treatment groups: (i) no treatment; Er:YAG laser (80 mJ/2 Hz) with pulse widths of 50 μs (ii), 100 μs (iii), 300 μs (iv), or 600 μs (v); or tribochemical silica coating at the partially sintered stage (vi) or after sintering was complete (vii). All specimens were sintered after the surface treatments, except for the group in which specimens were sintered before treatment. The study outcomes were roughness, surface loss, microshear bond strength (μSBS), and biaxial flexural strength (BFS). Mean roughness and surface loss values were significantly higher in specimens from irradiated groups than in those from silica-coated groups. Regarding μSBS, after aging, specimens from all experimental groups presented very low and similar μSBS values, irrespective of the surface treatment. Silica coating after sintering yielded the highest BFS (1149.5 ± 167.6 MPa), while coating partially sintered specimens with silica resulted a BFS (826.9 ± 60.9 MPa) similar to that of the untreated control group (794.9 ± 101.7 MPa). Laser treatments, irrespective of pulse width used, significantly decreased the BFS. In the group treated with laser at 300 μs pulse width, specimens exhibited the lowest BFS value (514.1 ± 71.5 MPa). Adhesion to zirconia was not stable after aging, regardless of the surface treatment implemented.

Combined application of femtosecond laser and air-abrasion protocols to monolithic zirconia at different sintering stages: Effects on surface roughness and resin bond strength

This study aimed to investigate the effects of femtosecond laser (Fs) and/or air-abrasion protocols on surface roughness (Ra) of zirconia and resin bond strength. Eighty zirconia samples were randomly divided into eight subgroups according to surface treatment protocols: Control (C), Air-abrasion before sintering (ABS), Air-abrasion after sintering (AAS), Air-abrasion before and after sintering (ABS + AAS), Fs laser before sintering (FBS), Fs laser before sintering + air-abrasion after sintering (FBS + AAS), Fs laser after sintering (FAS), and Fs laser after sintering + air-abrasion after sintering (FAS + AAS). Measurements of Ra values were obtained using a surface profilometer. Surface morphological properties were evaluated with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and crystallographic changes were examined by X-Ray diffractometry (XRD). Self-adhesive resin cement was bonded to zirconia samples, and shear bond strength (SBS) tests were performed. The data were statistically analyzed by one-way ANOVA, followed by Tamhane tests. The control group displayed the lowest Ra and SBS values among all groups. The highest Ra and SBS values were found in the FBS and FBS + AAS groups. Air-abrasion applied before sintering significantly increased the Ra of specimens. FAS, FAS + AAS, and ABS + AAS groups exhibited higher SBS values than AAS and ABS (p < .05). Air-abrasion applied after Fs laser did not produce any significant change in the Ra and SBS compared to Fs laser alone (p > .05). Femtosecond laser application may be a promising method to enhance the surface roughness of zirconia and improve resin bond strength. Air-abrasion at pre- and post-sintered stages may also be a viable surface treatment option.