Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

Ceramic systems have limited long-term fracture resistance, especially when they are used in posterior areas or for fixed partial dentures. The objective of this study was to determine the site of crack initiation and the causes of fracture of clinically failed ceramic fixed partial dentures. Six Empress 2^® lithia-disilicate (Li₂O·2SiO₂)-based veneered bridges and 7 experimental lithia-disilicate-based non-veneered ceramic bridges were retrieved and analyzed. Fractography and fracture mechanics methods were used to estimate the stresses at failure in 6 bridges (50%) whose fracture initiated from the occlusal surface of the connectors. Fracture of 1 non-veneered bridge (8%) initiated within the gingival surface of the connector. Three veneered bridges fractured within the veneer layers. Failure stresses of the all-core fixed partial dentures ranged from 107 to 161 MPa. Failure stresses of the veneered fixed partial dentures ranged from 19 to 68 MPa. We conclude that fracture initiation sites are controlled primarily by contact damage.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

ASTM -1999-. Standard practice for fractography and characterization of fracture origins in advanced ceramics. ASTM Designation C1322-96a. 1999 Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol. 15.01. West Conshohocken, PA: American Society for Testing and Materials.

Beer FP, Johnston ER -1981-. Mechanics of materials. 2nd rev. ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, pp. 150–233.

Höland W, Schweiger M, Frank M, Rheinberger V -2000-. A comparison of the microstructure and properties of the IPS Empress 2 and the IPS Empress glass-ceramics. J Biomed Mater Res53:297–303.

Kelly JR, Campbell SD, Bowen HK -1989-. Fracture-surface analysis of dental ceramics. J Prosthet Dent62:536–541.

Lawn B -1993-. Fracture of brittle solids. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 194–306.

Marshall DB, Lawn BR, Mecholsky JJ -1980-. Effect of residual contact stresses on mirror flaw-size relations. J Am Ceram Soc63:358–360.

Mecholsky JJ Jr -1991-. Quantitative fractography: an assessment. In: Fractography of glasses and ceramics. Proceedings of the conference on the fractography of glasses and ceramics, August 3–6, 1986, Alfred, NY. Varner JR, Fréchette VD, Quinn GD, editors. Westerville, OH: American Ceramic Society, pp. 413–451.

Mecholsky JJ Jr -1995-. Fractography: determining the sites of fracture initiation. Dent Mater11:113–116.

Mecholsky JJ -2001-. Fractography of brittle materials. In: Encyclopedia of materials: science and technology. Buschow KH, Cahn RW, Flemings MC, Ilschner B, Kramer EJ, Mahajan S, et al., editors. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Science Ltd., pp. 3257–3265.

10.

Oh W, Götzen N, Anusavice KJ -2002-. Influence of connector design on fracture probability of ceramic fixed-partial dentures. J Dent Res81:623–627.

11.

Scherer GW -1986-. Relaxation in glass and composites. 1st ed. New York: Wiley- Interscience publication, pp. 75–174.

12.

Sorensen JA, Cruz M, Mito WT, Raffeiner O, Meredith HR, Foser HP -1999-. A clinical investigation on three-unit fixed partial dentures fabricated with a lithium disilicate glass-ceramic. Pract Periodontics Aesthet Dent11:95–106.

13.

Taskonak B, Anusavice KJ, Mecholsky JJ Jr -2004-. Role of investment interaction layer on strength and toughness of ceramic laminates. Dent Mater20:701–708.

14.

Taskonak B, Mecholsky JJ Jr, Anusavice KJ -2005-. Residual stresses in bilayer dental ceramics. Biomaterials26:3235–3241.

15.

Thompson JY, Anusavice KJ, Naman A, Morris HF -1994-. Fracture surface characterization of clinically failed all-ceramic crowns. J Dent Res73:1824–1832.

Fracture Surface Analysis of Clinically Failed Fixed Partial Dentures

Abstract

Get full access to this article

References