Aim To evaluate the fracture resistance of roots restored with CAD/CAM-fabricated posts, receiving or not intracanal laser treatment, compared with glass fiber posts under mechanical cycling. Methods Twenty-seven endodontically treated, single-rooted teeth were divided into 3 groups: group 1 (control), prefabricated glass fiber posts relined with resin composite; group 2, CAD/CAM-fabricated intraradicular posts using Resin Nano Ceramic (RNC) blocks; and group 3, CAD/CAM-fabricated intraradicular posts using RNC blocks in canals irradiated with a 940-nm diode laser (100 mJ, 300-um optic fiber, coronal-apical and apical-coronal helical movements, speed of 2 mm/second, 4 times each canal). After cementation of the coping, cyclic loading was applied at an angle of 135° to the long axis of the root, with a pulse load of 130 N, frequency of 2.2 Hz, and 150,000 pulses on the crown at a point located 2 mm below the incisal edge on the lingual aspect of the specimen. Every 50,000 cycles, the specimens were evaluated for root fracture occurring below or above the simulated bone crest. Results were analyzed by one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s test (p<0.05). Results Group 1 was the least resistant, while groups 2 and 3 were the most resistant. Group 1 differed significantly from groups 2 and 3 (p<0.01), but there was no difference between groups 2 and 3 (p<0.01). Conclusion Treatment of the intracanal surface with diode laser had no influence on fracture resistance of roots restored with CAD/CAM-fabricated posts, but a longer cycling time is required to evaluate the real benefits of diode laser irradiation.

Resumo Objetivo: avaliar o efeito de curto prazo de dois protocolos de desafio erosivo, in vitro, na resistência adesiva de braquetes ortodônticos metálicos em esmalte bovino. Métodos: Sessenta incisivos bovinos foram selecionados e divididos aleatoriamente em seis grupos: SA7 (saliva artificial - 7 dias, Grupo Controle); CC7 (Coca-Cola® - 7 dias); SL7 (suco de limão - 7 dias); SA30 (saliva artificial - 30 dias, Grupo Controle); CC30 (Coca-Cola® - 30 dias); SL30 (suco de limão - 30 dias). Foi realizado o teste de microdureza antes do desafio erosivo, para verificar a padronização das amostras. A imersão foi realizada quatro vezes ao dia, por cinco minutos, durante 7 ou 30 dias. Finalizadas as imersões, os braquetes foram colados e, após 48 horas, foi avaliada a resistência ao cisalhamento. O Índice de Adesivo Remanescente (IAR) também foi avaliado. Para análise dos dados, foram utilizados os testes ANOVA dois fatores, seguido do post-hoc de Tukey e teste t de Student para amostras pareadas, e o teste não-paramétrico de Kruskal-Wallis (α?#8197;= 5%). Resultados: a média e o desvio-padrão do teste de microdureza das amostras totais foi igual a 281,89 ± 44,51 KHN. Não houve diferença estatisticamente significativa na resistência ao cisalhamento para o fator tempo (7 ou 30 dias; F5,54= 0,105; p= 0,901). Contudo, houve diferença estatisticamente significativa para o fator solução (F5,54=6,671; p= 0,003). Essas diferenças ocorreram entre as soluções de Saliva x Coca-Cola® (p= 0,003) e Coca-Cola® x suco de limão (p= 0,029). Ao avaliar o Índice de Adesivo Remanescente, não foi possível verificar diferença significativa entre os grupos. Conclusões: o tempo de imersão utilizado nos protocolos de erosão não afetou a resistência de união dos braquetes aos dentes. A Coca-Cola® induziu valores de resistência ao cisalhamento significativamente mais altos do que o suco de limão e a saliva artificial. No entanto, os efeitos em curto prazo de 7 e 30 dias, nesse estudo in vitro, não podem ser extrapolados para os estudos in vivo. Estudos clínicos devem ser conduzidos, fundamentando os resultados laboratoriais.

Abstract Objective: To assess the short-term effect of two in vitro erosive challenge protocols on the bond strength of metal orthodontic brackets on bovine enamel. Methods: Sixty bovine incisors were selected and randomly divided into six groups: AS7 (artificial saliva - 7 days, Control Group); CC7 (Coca-Cola™ - 7 days); LJ7 (lime juice - 7 days); AS30 (artificial saliva - 30 days, Control Group); CC30 (Coca-Cola™ - 30 days); LJ30 (lime juice - 30 days). Microhardness testing was performed prior to the erosive challenge to verify the standardization of samples. Immersion was performed 4x/day for five minutes, for either 7 or 30 days. After immersions were concluded, the brackets were bonded and shear bond strength was assessed after 48 hours. The Adhesive Remnant Index (ARI) was also assessed. Data were analyzed by two-way ANOVA, followed by Tukey’s post-hoc and Student’s t test for paired samples, and the Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric test (α = 5%). Results: The mean and standard deviation of microhardness testing of total samples were 281.89 ± 44.51 KHN. There was no statistically significant difference in shear bond strength for the time factor (7 or 30 days; F5.54= 0.105; p = 0.901). However, there was a statistically significant difference for the solution factor (F5.54= 6.671; p = 0.003). These differences occurred among solutions of Saliva x Coca-Cola™ (p = 0.003) and Coca-Cola™ x Lime Juice (p= 0.029). The assessment of the Adhesive Remnant Index showed no significant difference between groups. Conclusions: The immersion time used in the erosion protocols did not affect the bond strength of brackets to teeth. Coca-Cola™ induced significantly higher shear bond strength values than lime juice and artificial saliva. However, the short term effects of 7/30 days in this in vitro study may not be extrapolated for in vivo ones. Clinical studies should be conducted, substantiating the laboratory results.

Abstract The evolution of computerized systems for the production of dental restorations associated to the development of novel microstructures for ceramic materials has caused an important change in the clinical workflow for dentists and technicians, as well as in the treatment options offered to patients. New microstructures have also been developed by the industry in order to offer ceramic and composite materials with optimized properties, i.e., good mechanical properties, appropriate wear behavior and acceptable aesthetic characteristics. The objective of this literature review is to discuss the main advantages and disadvantages of the new ceramic systems and processing methods. The manuscript is divided in five parts: I) monolithic zirconia restorations; II) multilayered dental prostheses; III) new glass-ceramics; IV) polymer infiltrated ceramics; and V) novel processing technologies. Dental ceramics and processing technologies have evolved significantly in the past ten years, with most of the evolution being related to new microstructures and CAD-CAM methods. In addition, a trend towards the use of monolithic restorations has changed the way clinicians produce all-ceramic dental prostheses, since the more aesthetic multilayered restorations unfortunately are more prone to chipping or delamination. Composite materials processed via CAD-CAM have become an interesting option, as they have intermediate properties between ceramics and polymers and are more easily milled and polished.

Resumo O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a estabilidade da cor de dois sistemas cerâmicos em função de dois cimentos resinosos, avaliando a diferença de cor (ΔE00) pela mensuração de L*, a*, b*, c* e h* de transmitância. Formou-se 4 grupos (n=5) de acordo com as duas cerâmicas (reforçada com dissilicato de lítio e feldspática) e dois cimentos resinosos - cor A3 (RelyX ARC e Variolink II). Dez discos foram confeccionados para cada sistema cerâmico (10 x 1,5 mm), tratados com ácido fluorídrico (10%) e silanizados antes da cimentação. A análise de cor foi feita 24 h após a cimentação das amostras e após 6 meses de armazenamento em umidade relativa por meio de espectrofotometria. ANOVA a dois fatores foi utilizada para análise dos dados de ΔE00 seguido pelo teste de Tukey (p<0,05). ANOVA a um fator foi realizada para avaliação das coordenadas individuais de cor (L*, a*, b*, c* e h*). Apenas o fator cerâmica foi significativo (p=0,003),mas não houve diferença para o fator imento (p=0,275) nem para a interação entre cerâmica e cimento (p=0,161). A cerâmica feldspática apresentou os maiores valores de ΔE00. Variações de L*, a*, b*, c* e h* foram mais significativas para cerâmica feldspática. Concluiu-se que o armazenamento alterou as propriedades ópticas dos cimentos resinosos de forma semelhante e a porcelana feldspática foi mais susceptível à mudança de cor do cimento após o envelhecimento.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to evaluate color stability of two dental ceramics cemented with two resin cements, assessing the color difference (ΔE00) by the measurement of L*, a*, b*, c* and h* of transmittance. The combination of two ceramic system (feldspathic and lithium disilicate) and two resin cements - color A3 (RelyX ARC and Variolink II) resulted in 4 groups (n=5). Ten disks-shaped specimens were fabricated for each ceramic system (10x1.5 mm), etched with hydrofluoric acid (10%) and silanized prior to cementation. The color analysis was performed 24 h after cementation of the samples and after 6 months of storage in relative humidity by means of spectrophotometry. The ΔE00 values were analyzed statistically by two-way ANOVA followed by the Tukey test (p<0.05). One-way ANOVA were calculated for the means of individual color coordinates (L*, a*, b*, c* and h*). Two-way ANOVA showed that only the ceramic factor was significant (p=0.003), but there was no difference for the cement factor (p=0.275) nor for the ceramic/cement interaction (p=0.161). The feldspathic ceramic showed the highest values of ΔE00. Variations in L*, a*, b*, c* and h* were more significant for feldspathic ceramic. In conclusion, storage alters similarly the optical properties of the resin cements and feldspathic porcelain was more susceptible to cement color change after aging.

Resumo Este estudo avaliou o efeito de protocolos de desgaste e ressinterização no limite de fadiga flexural e na caracterização da superfície da zircônia LavaTM. Corpos-de-prova em forma de barra (20×4,0×1,2 mm, n=40; 20×4,0×1,5 mm, n=80) foram obtidos. Metade das barras com menor altura (1,2 mm) constituiu o grupo controle (AS), enquanto as de maior altura (1,5 mm) foram desgastadas com fresas diamantadas com (WG) ou sem (G) irrigação. A outra metade dos corpos-de-prova de menor altura e metade dos desgastados foram ressinterizadas (1000 °C, 30 min), obtendo-se os grupos ASR, WGR e GR. O limite de fadiga (500.000 ciclos, 10 Hz) foi avaliado pelo método de escada em dispositivo de flexão em 4 pontos. Os dados foram analisados pelos testes ANOVA a dois fatores e Tukey (α=0,05). A topografia de superfície (n=3) e área de fratura (n=3) foram avaliadas por MEV. Os dados de difração de raios-X (n=1) foram analisados pelo refinamento de Rietveld. ANOVA revelou diferenças significantes (p<0,001) para desgaste, ressinterização e interação entre os fatores. O desgaste aumentou o limite de fadiga para os grupos não ressinterizados. Não houve diferença significante entre os grupos ressinterizados. A ressinterização aumentou o limite de fadiga somente para o grupo AS. Ambos os protocolos criaram riscos evidentes na superfície da zircônia. As falhas iniciaram sempre no lado de tração. A porcentagem de fase monoclínica foi: AS (8.6), ASR (1.2), G (1.8), GR (0.0), WG (8.2), WGR (0.0) antes e AS (7.4), ASR (6.5), G (3.2), GR (0.2), WG (4.6), WGR (1.1) após a ciclagem. O desgaste aumentou o limite de fadiga da zircônia não ressinterizada e formou ranhuras evidentes na sua superfície. A ressinterização promoveu aumento significativo no limite de fadiga somente para o grupo controle. Em geral, o desgaste e a ressinterização diminuíram ou anularam o conteúdo de fase monoclínica.

Abstract This study evaluated the effect of grinding protocols and resintering on flexural fatigue limit and surface characterization of LavaTM Y-TZP. Bar-shaped specimens (20×4.0×1.2 mm, n=40; 20×4.0×1.5 mm, n=80) were obtained. Half of the thinner specimens (1.2 mm) constituted the as-sintered group (AS), while the thicker ones (1.5 mm) were ground with diamond burs under irrigation (WG) or not (G). The other half of thinner and half of ground specimens were resintered (1000 ºC, 30 min), forming the groups ASR, WGR and GR. Fatigue limit (500,000 cycles, 10 Hz) was evaluated by staircase method in a 4-point flexural fixture. Data were analyzed by 2-way ANOVA and Tukey's test (α=0.05). Surface topography (n=3) and fracture area (n=3) were evaluated by SEM. X-ray diffraction data (n=1) was analyzed by Rietveld refinement. ANOVA revealed significant differences (p<0.001) for the grinding protocol, resintering and their interaction. Grinding increased the fatigue limit of non-resintered groups. There was no significant difference among the resintered groups. Resintering significantly increased the fatigue limit of the AS group only. Both protocols created evident grooves on zirconia surface. The failures initiated at the tensile side of all specimens. The percentages (wt%) of monoclinic phase were AS (8.6), ASR (1.2), G (1.8), GR (0.0), WG (8.2), WGR (0.0) before, and AS (7.4), ASR (6.5), G (3.2), GR (0.2), WG (4.6), WGR (1.1) after cyclic loading. Grinding increased the fatigue limit of non-resintered Y-TZP and formed evident grooves on its surface. Resintering provided significant increase in the fatigue limit of as-sintered specimens. In general, grinding and resintering decreased or zeroed the monoclinic phase.

ABSTRACT Objective This in vitro study evaluated the effect of two different shades of resin cement (RC- A1 and A3) layer on color change, translucency parameter (TP), and chroma of low (LT) and high (HT) translucent reinforced lithium disilicate ceramic laminates. Material and Methods One dual-cured RC (Variolink II, A1- and A3-shade, Ivoclar Vivadent) was applied to 1-mm thick ceramic discs to create thin RC films (100 µm thick) under the ceramics. The RC was exposed to light from a LED curing unit. Color change (ΔE) of ceramic discs was measured according to CIEL*a*b* system with a standard illuminant D65 in reflectance mode in a spectrophotometer, operating in the light range of 360-740 nm, equipped with an integrating sphere. The color difference between black (B) and white (W) background readings was used for TP analysis, while chroma was calculated by the formula C*ab=(a*2+b*2)½. ΔE of 3.3 was set as the threshold of clinically unacceptable. The results were evaluated by two-way ANOVA followed by Tukey's post hoc test. Results HT ceramics showed higher ΔE and higher TP than LT ceramics. A3-shade RC promoted higher ΔE than A1-shade cement, regardless of the ceramic translucency. No significant difference in TP was noted between ceramic discs with A1- and those with A3-shade cement. Ceramic with underlying RC showed lower TP than discs without RC. HT ceramics showed lower chroma than LT ceramics, regardless of the resin cement shade. The presence of A3-shade RC resulted in higher chroma than the presence of A1-shade RC. Conclusions Darker underlying RC layer promoted more pronounced changes in ceramic translucency, chroma, and shade of high translucent ceramic veneers. These differences may not be clinically differentiable.

AbstractResin-based cements have been frequently employed in clinical practice to lute indirect restorations. However, there are numerous factors that may compromise the clinical performance of those cements. The aim of this literature review is to present and discuss some of the clinical factors that may affect the performance of current resin-based luting systems. Resin cements may have three different curing mechanisms: chemical curing, photo curing or a combination of both. Chemically cured systems are recommended to be used under opaque or thick restorations, due to the reduced access of the light. Photo-cured cements are mainly indicated for translucent veneers, due to the possibility of light transmission through the restoration. Dual-cured are more versatile systems and, theoretically, can be used in either situation, since the presence of both curing mechanisms might guarantee a high degree of conversion (DC) under every condition. However, it has been demonstrated that clinical procedures and characteristics of the materials may have many different implications in the DC of currently available resin cements, affecting their mechanical properties, bond strength to the substrate and the esthetic results of the restoration. Factors such as curing mechanism, choice of adhesive system, indirect restorative material and light-curing device may affect the degree of conversion of the cement and, therefore, have an effect on the clinical performance of resin-based cements. Specific measures are to be taken to ensure a higher DC of the luting system to be used.

The objective of the study was to measure the marginal and internal fit of zirconia-based all-ceramic three-unit fixed partial dentures (FPDs) (Y-TZP - LAVA, 3M-ESPE), using a novel methodology based on micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) technology. Stainless steel models of prepared abutments were fabricated to design FPDs. Ten frameworks were produced with 9 mm2 connector cross-sections using a LAVATM CAD-CAM system. All FPDs were veneered with a compatible porcelain. Each FPD was seated on the original model and scanned using micro-CT. Files were processed using NRecon and CTAn software. Adobe Photoshop and Image J software were used to analyze the cross-sectional images. Five measuring points were selected, as follows: MG - marginal gap; CA - chamfer area; AW - axial wall; AOT - axio-occlusal transition area; OA - occlusal area. Results were statistically analyzed by Kruskall-Wallis and Tukey's post hoc test (α= 0.05). There were significant differences for the gap width between the measurement points evaluated. MG showed the smallest median gap width (42 µm). OA had the highest median gap dimension (125 µm), followed by the AOT point (105 µm). CA and AW gap width values were statistically similar, 66 and 65 µm respectively. Thus, it was possible to conclude that different levels of adaptation were observed within the FPD, at the different measuring points. In addition, the micro-CT technology seems to be a reliable tool to evaluate the fit of dental restorations.

The objective of this work was to evaluate biaxial-flexural-strength (σf), Vickers hardness (HV), fracture toughness (K Ic), Young's modulus (E), Poisson's ratio (ν) and porosity (P) of two commercial glass-ceramics, Empress (E1) and Empress 2 (E2), as a function of the hot-pressing temperature. Ten disks were hot-pressed at 1065, 1070, 1075 and 1080 °C for E1; and at 910, 915, 920 and 925 °C for E2. The porosity was measured by an image analyzer software and s f was determined using the piston-on-three-balls method. K Ic and HV were determined by an indentation method. Elastic constants were determined by the pulse-echo method. For E1 samples treated at different temperatures, there were no statistical differences among the values of all evaluated properties. For E2 samples treated at different temperatures, there were no statistical differences among the values of σf, E, and ν, however HV and K Ic were significantly higher for 910 and 915 °C, respectively. Regarding P, the mean value obtained for E2 for 925 °C was significantly higher compared to other temperatures.

Aluminum nitride is a relatively new engineering ceramic and its mechanical properties have not been extensively studied. In this work, the effects of porosity (~0 to 38%) on sonic velocities, Poisson's ratio, and elastic moduli of partially sintered A1N, both pure and with additives, were investigated. The elastic constants, determined by the ultrasonic pulse-echo method, were significantly influenced by the porosity, but not by the different types of additives used (2 wt. (%) of CaCO3, CaO, and Y2O3). All elastic constants evaluated decreased with increasing porosity, but the rates of decrease were higher for elastic moduli compared do sonic velocities and Poisson's ratio. The results were analyzed in the light of stress concentration and loading bearing area models proposed in the literature.