Slow crack growth and reliability of dental ceramics

Objective

To determine the slow crack growth (SCG) and Weibull parameters of five dental ceramics: a vitreous porcelain (V), a leucite-based porcelain (D), a leucite-based glass-ceramic (E1), a lithium disilicate glass-ceramic (E2) and a glass-infiltrated alumina composite (IC).

Methods

Eighty disks (Ø 12 mm × 1.1 mm thick) of each material were constructed according to manufacturers’ recommendations and polished. The stress corrosion susceptibility coefficient (n) was obtained by dynamic fatigue test, and specimens were tested in biaxial flexure at five stress rates immersed in artificial saliva at 37 °C. Weibull parameters were calculated for the 30 specimens tested at 1 MPa/s in artificial saliva at 37 °C. The 80 specimens were distributed as follows: 10 for each stress rate (10⁻², 10⁻¹, 10¹, 10² MPa/s), 10 for inert strength (10² MPa/s, silicon oil) and 30 for 10⁰ MPa/s. Fractographic analysis was also performed to investigate the fracture origin.

Results

E2 showed the lowest slow crack growth susceptibility coefficient (17.2), followed by D (20.4) and V (26.3). E1 and IC presented the highest n values (30.1 and 31.1, respectively). Porcelain V presented the lowest Weibull modulus (5.2). All other materials showed similar Weibull modulus values, ranging from 9.4 to 11.7. Fractographic analysis indicated that for porcelain D, glass-ceramics E1 and E2, and composite IC crack deflection was the main toughening mechanism.

Significance

This study provides a detailed microstructural and slow crack growth characterization of widely used dental ceramics. This is important from a clinical standpoint to assist the clinician in choosing the best ceramic material for each situation as well as predicting its clinical longevity. It also can be helpful in developing new materials for dental prostheses.