CERAMICS

 CONTENTS
• INTRODUCTION
• HISTORY
• CLASSIFICATION
• COMPOSITION
• ADVANTAGES
• DISADVANTAGES
• FLAWS
• METHODS OF STRENGTHENING CERAMICS

 Ceramic is derived from GREEK word “KERAMI KOS” meaning Burnt

stuff’ but
 which has come to mean more specifically a material produced by burning
or firing.
 The first ceramics fabricated by man were earthenware pots used for
domestic purposes which was
opaque,relatively weak and porous.
 It consisted mainly of kaolin. The blending of this with other minerals such
as silica and feldspar produced the translucency
and extra strength required for dental restorations. Material containing these
additional important ingredients was given the name “porcelain”.

 Ceramics:
 (1) silicate ceramics,
 (2) oxide ceramics,
 (3) Nonoxide ceramics, and
 (4) glass-ceramics.
Silicate ceramics are characterized by an amorphous glass phase with a porous
structure.
The main components are SiO2 with small additions of crystalline Al2O3,
MgO, ZrO2, and/or other oxides.
Dental porcelains fall into this category.

 Ceramics : any product or compounds of one or more metals with a non
metallic element (usually silicon, boron, oxygen) that may be used as a
single structural component or as one of the several layers that are used in
the fabrication of a ceramic based prosthesis . (G.P.T 8, Anusavice)

 Porcelain : a specific compositional range of ceramic material formed of

infusible elements joined by lower fusing materials. Most dental porcelains
are glasses and are used in fabrication of teeth for dentures, pontics &
facings, crowns, inlays, onlays and other restorations. (G.P.T 8)

 During the Stone Age more than 10,000 years ago, ceramics were important
materials, and they have retained their importance in human societies ever
since.

 Craftsmen of this era used rocks that could be shaped into tools and artifacts
by a process called flaking, in which stone chips could be fractured away
from surfaces of hard, fine-grained, or amorphous rocks including chert,
flint, ignimbrite, indurated shale, lava, obsidian, quartz, and silicified
limestone.
 Candidate materials for artificial teeth during the 18th century were
(1) human teeth,
(2) animal teeth carved to the size and shape of human teeth, (3) ivory, and
finally
(4) “mineral” or porcelain teeth.
 Animal teeth were unstable toward the “corrosive agents” in saliva, and
elephant ivory and bone contained pores that easily stained.
 John Greenwood carved teeth from hippopotamus ivory for at least one of
the four sets of complete dentures he fabricated for George Washington.


 The first porcelain tooth material was patented in 1789 by a French dentist
(deChemant) in collaboration with a French pharmacist (Duchateau).
 In 1808, Fonzi an Italian dentist, invented a terrometallic porcelain tooth
that was held in place by a platinum pin or frame.
 Commercial production of these teeth began in 1825 by Stockton.
 1844, the nephew of Stockton founded the S.S. White Company, and this led
to further refinement of the design and the mass production of porcelain
denture teeth.
 In early 1900s,PJC were developed.
 Dr. Charles Land introduced one of the first ceramic crowns to dentistry in
1903.
 Land, who was the grandfather of aviator Charles Lindbergh, described a
technique for fabricating ceramic crowns using a platinum foil matrix and
high-fusing feldspathic porcelain.
 These crowns exhibited excellent aesthetics, but the low flexural strength of
porcelain resulted in a high incidence of failures.
 Since then, feldspathic porcelains with reliable chemical bonding have been
used in metal-ceramic prostheses for more than 35 years.

 The first commercial porcelain was developed by Vita Zahnfabrik in about

1963
 1968 – castable ceramics (Mc Culloch)
 1970 – hydrothermal ceramics
 1980 – Duceram LFC
 1984 – Dicor by Adair and Grossman
 1985 – Cerec system (Dr. Brandestini)
 1984 – Magnesia reinforced porcelain
 1988 – Inceram
 1990s – IPS Empress(pressable glass ceramic)
 1994 - Cerec 2 system (Morman & Brandestini)
 2000 – Cerec 3 (Akbar, Walker, Williams)
 2006 – sirona released BIOGENERIC version of software
 2007 – procera implant bridge zirconia
 2008 – sirona introduced MCXL milling unit
 2009 – sirona released CEREC acquisition centre powered by bluecam
Classification
CLASSIFICATION OF CERAMICS
According to firing temperature:

 1. High Fusing - 1300ºc(2372" F)- denture teeth

 2. Medium fusing - 1101 -1300ºc (201 3"-2072" F)denture teeth
 3. Low fusing - 850-1100ºc (1562"-2012" F)-crown & bridge use
 4. Ultra low fusing - < 850ºc(1562" F) used with Titanium


 According to Use or Indications
1. Artificial teeth
2. For crowns & inlays
3. For veneer over a cast metal crown
4. Anterior Bridge porcelain
5. Posts & cores
6. Stain & Glass ceramics

 According to Composition /type:
1. Feldspathic or conventional porcelain
2. Aluminous porcelain
3. Leucite reinforced porcelain
4. Glass infiltrated alumina
5. Glass infiltrated Spinell (crystalline mineral of mixed oxides).
6. Glass ceramic


 According to Processing Method
1. Sintered porcelain
2. Cast porcelain
3. Machined porcelain


 According to application while building a crown layer by layer
1. Core porcelain
2. Dentin or body porcelain
3. Enamel porcelain
4.Shoulder porcelain

• Based on substructure or core material used

1. Porcelain fused to metal alloy
2. All ceramic restorations

 Composition


Composition of a dental porcelain (feldspathic)
weight%
 Material

 Silica 63
 Alumina 17
 Boric oxide 7
 Potash 7
 Soda 4
 Other oxides 2
 Role of Each Constituent
 Feldspar
 Glass former
 Contain potash, soda, silica
 Pure and Colorless
 Kaolin
 Hydrated aluminasilicate(Al2O3·2SiO2·2H2O.)
 Binder
 Opacifier

 Quartz\ Silica
 Strength and hardness
 Remains unchanged during and after firing

 Alumina
 Strength and hardness
 Opacifier
 Alters softening point
 Increases viscosity during firing
E. Color modifiers:-

 Titanium oxide Yellowish Brown

 Nickel oxide Brown
 Copper oxide Green
 Manganese oxide Lavender
 Cobalt oxide Blue

F. Glass Modifiers
 Alkali such as Na, K, Ca
 Lower fusion temperature
  Increase flow
 Increase coefficient of thermal expansion
 Reduce the softening temperature of glass

G. Opacifiers Oxides of zirconium, Titanium and

tin.
(R.I. – 2.01-2.10)

 Role of feldspar
Glass phase formation:



 LEUCITE FORMATION : ANOTHER IMPORTANT PROPERTY OF

FELDSPAR IS ITS TENDENCY TO FORM THE CRYSTALLINE
MINERAL LEUCITE WHEN MELTED.

THE ESSENTIAL COMPONENT THAT ALLOWS THE FORMATION OF
GLASS IS SILICA, THUS IT IS ALSO CALLED THE NETWORK
FORMER. OXIDES OF TITANIUM, ZINC, LEAD AND ALUMINUM
CAN ALL TAKE PART IN THE FORMATION OF THE GLASS
NETWORK AND PRODUCE STIFF NETWORK STRUCTURES.

 Mechanism of glass modifiers

 This ease of movement is responsible for the

 Increased fluidity (decreased viscosity),
 lower softening temperature, and
 increased thermal expansion conferred by glass modifiers.


THE PRODUCTION OF FLUORESCENCE IN DENTAL PORCELAINS
HAS ASSUMED GREATER PROMINENCE IN RECENT YEARS DUE
TO THE USE OF LAMPS, WHICH EMIT THE BLUE END OF THE
SPECTRUM, IN ADDITION TO SOME U-V RADIATION.

WHEN A NON-FLUORESCENT MATERIAL IS USED IT TENDS TO

EXHIBIT A GRAYISH APPEARANCE AND WILL APPEAR AS A
BLACK HOLE WHEN SEEN UNDER ULTRAVIOLET OR ‘BLACK-
LIGHT’ ILLUMINATION SUCH AS THAT COMMONLY USED IN
NIGHTCLUBS.

 SELF-GLAZING IS EXHIBITED BY ALL PORCELAINS EXCEPT

THOSE CONTAINING HIGH QUANTITY OF STRENGTHENING
AGENTS SUCH AS ALUMINA OR OPAQUING MATERIALS.

 Major disadvantages of conventional porcelain

 Low strength/ fracture toughness/brittle nature
 2. Esthetic compromise
Color of metal substructure can’t be masked well when compared to
ceramic cores.
 These drawbacks lead to the development of various strengthening
mechanisms of ceramics so that ceramic cores could be used in
place of metal copings.

 Flaws which reduce strength

 1. Fabrication defects
Voids/inclusions during sintering
Porosity during condensation
  2. Surface cracks
 Machining or grinding
 Average natural flaw size – 20-50µm

 3. Stress raisers

 Sharp line angles in the preparations

Creases or folds of platinum foil or gold foil substrate
Large changes in porcelain thickness
Small particle of porcelain along internal porcelain margin
 Thus the incisal line angles on an anterior tooth prepared for a ceramic
crown should be well rounded.

 As ceramics tend to have no mechanism for plastically deforming without
fracture as do metals, cracks may propagate through a ceramic material at
low average stress levels. As a result, ceramics and glasses have tensile
strengths that are much lower than their compressive strengths.

 THE STRESS CONCENTRATION IS MAINTAINED AT THE CRACK
TIP UNLESS THE CRACK MOVES COMPLETELY THROUGH THE
MATERIAL OR IT MEETS ANOTHER CRACK, a pore, or a crystalline
particle,WHICH REDUCES THE LOCALIZED STRESS.

 The removal of surface flaws or the reduction of their size and number can
produce a very large increase in strength.
 Reducing the depth of surface flaws in the surface of a ceramic is one of the
reasons that polishing and glazing of dental porcelain is so important.

 Methods of strengthening ceramics

 Strengthening of ceramics by

i) Introduction of residual compressive stresses into the surface of

material by
  a) Ion exchange (chemical tempering).

 b) Thermal tempering .

 c) Thermal compatibility (mismatch of CTE).


Development of residual compressive stresses by ion exchange
 Chemical tempering(Anusavice et al, 1912)

 Replacement of smaller ions by larger size ions

 Increase in flexural strength by 100%

 Ion exchange

 GC 'Tuf-Coat (GC Corp , Tokyo, Japan)

 potassium-rich slurry that could he easily applied to a ceramic surface and,

when heated to 450° C for 30 min (in any standard porcelain furnace),
caused a sufficient exchange between the potassium ions in the slurry and
the sodium ions in the ceramic)

 Development of residual compressive stresses by mismatching of thermal

expansion coefficient

 Coefficient of thermal expansion of metal slightly greater than ceramics

 Coefficient of thermal expansion of core greater than veneer ceramics

 Development of residual compressive stresses by thermal tempering

 the most common method for strengthening glass is by thermal tempering.
creates residual surface compressive stresses by rapidly cooling (quenching)
the surface of the object while it is hot and in the softened(molten)state.

 produces a skin of rigid glass surrounding a soft (molten) core.

 As the core solidifies, it tends to shrink but outer skin remains rigid.
 The pull of solidifying molten core as it shrinks creates the residual
compressive stresses within the outer surface.


 ii. Disruption of crack propagation.

 a)Dispersion strengthening
 Dispersion of a crystalline phase. eg . Alumina
b) Transformation toughening .
Zirconia crystals.(ZrO2)


 Dispersion Strengthening
 to reinforce ceramics with a dispersed phase of a different material that is
capable of hindering a crack from propagating through the material.
 This process is referred to as Dispersion Strengthening .
 Almost all of the newer higher-strength ceramics derive their improved
fracture resistance from the crack-blocking ability of the crystalline
particles.
Strengthening the ceramic by reinforcing with dispersed phase of different
material
 Leucite
 Lithia disilicate
 Alumina
 Magnesia alumina Spinell
 Zirconia
 Transformation toughening
 When small tough crystals are homogenously distributed in the glass, the
ceramic structure is strengthened because cracks cannot penetrate the fine
particles as easily as they can penetrate the glass.

 Various dispersed crystalline phases includes alumina, leucite, tetrasilicic

fluormica, lithia disilicate, and magnesia alumina spinel.

 Transformation toughening
In zirconia based ceramics(cercon and lava) , transformation toughening
involves a transformation of ZrO2 from a tetragonal crystal phase to a
monoclinic phase at the tips of cracks that are in regions of tensile stress.
When pure zirconia is heated between 1470-2010 o
C & is cooled at room
temperature its crystals begin to change from tetragonal to monoclinic phase at
about 1150 oC. Additives like 3 mol% yttrium oxide can prevent this
polymorphic transformation

Metal ceramic restorations

 Metal ceramic restorations
 currently popular in restorative dentistry.
 combine the natural esthetics of a brittle material such as porcelain, with
the durability and marginal fit of a metal casting
 Bonding porcelain to metal supports the porcelain with a metal substructure,
increases the strength of the porcelain by reducing ceramic surface defects
at the porcelain- metal interface, and possibly places the external surface of
porcelain in compressi0n.

 Evolution of metal-ceramics
 The development of metal-ceramic restorations and new high-strength
dental ceramics dominated the latter part of the 20th century.
 Previously, factory-made porcelain facings were used.
These required careful tooth preparation before casting some form of gold
backing.(John W. McLean, DSc MDSLondon), J Prosthet Dent
2001;85:61-6).

The only custom-made crown was the complete-porcelain crown baked on a

platinum matrix; it was prone to fracture.
Thus, the dentist’s ability to produce porcelain restorations with esthetics
comparable to natural teeth was severely limited by the necessity of using
gold reinforcement and cemented porcelain facings.
 The development, by Vines et al in 1958, of finer porcelain powders for
vacuum firing or low-pressure air firing must be regarded as the first major
improvement in the esthetics and especially the translucency of all-porcelain
crowns.
 The introduction of vacuum-fired porcelains and the bonding of porcelain
to gold alloys (introduced by Weinstein et al in the early 1960s) were
pivotal breakthroughs in dental esthetics.
 They allowed gold frameworks to be esthetically concealed by bonded
porcelain.
 Weinstein et al first described the production of metal-ceramic restorations
by using porcelain powders containing 11% to 15% K2O frit.
 When subjected to heat treatments at temperatures from 700°C to 1200°C,
glasses in the Na2O-K2O-Al2O3-SiO2 system containing not less than 11%
K2O produced high expansion glasses suitable for bonding to metal.
 The higher thermal expansion resulted from the crystallization of leucite.
 The basic change required to produce a porcelain of the thermal expansion
necessary for metal bonding was to increase the K2O content to the
necessary level.
 The importance of the work of Weinstein et al cannot be overestimated, as
they provided dentists and patients with a new restorative system that
transformed the esthetics of fixed prosthodontic restorations.

 Indications:-

 Fixed partial denture retainer

 Teeth that require complete coverage
 Cases of extensive tooth destruction
 Need of superior retention and strength
 Restoration of teeth with multiple deflective axial surfaces
 An endodontically treated tooth in conjunction with a suitable supporting
structure.
 Correction of minor inclinations

 Contraindications:-

 Patients with active caries

 Untreated periodontal disease
 In young patients with large pulp chambers due to high risk of pulp
exposure
 When a more conservative retainer is feasible.

 Advantages:-

 Fracture resistant
 Esthetic fixed partial denture
 Maximum retention
 Easy correction of the axial form
 superior marginal fit
 Close simulation of natural appearance.

 Disadvantages:-

 Diminished transmission of light

 Increased potential of gingival problems
 Large amount of tooth structure has to be destroyed during tooth preparation
 Possible abrasive damage to opposing dentition
 Difficult in accurate shade selection
 Chemical degradation
 Difficulty to obtain accurate occlusion in glazed porcelain
 Inferior esthetics compare to P.J.C.

 Requirements for a ceramic – metal system:

 High fusing temperature of alloy
 Fusing temperature of ceramic should be low.
 Ceramic must wet the alloy.
 A good bond between ceramic and metal is essential.
 Compatible coefficients of thermal expansion of ceramic and metal is
necessary.
 Adequate stiffness and strength of alloy core.
 High sag resistance is essential.
 Adequate design of restoration is critical.

 Ceramic For Ceramic – Metal Restorations:

 Requirements:
 They simulate appearance natural teeth.
 They fuse at relatively low temperatures.
 Thermal expansion coefficient of metal and ceramic should match.
 They must withstand oral environment.
 They must not unduly abrade opposing teeth.

 Alloys for Ceramic – Metal Restorations:

Types of alloys used-

 Nobel metal alloys

 Base metal alloys
 Ni-Cr Type:-
 Co-Cr Type:

 Metal Ceramic Bonding

Bonding porcelain to dental alloys is accomplished during
porcelain firing, a sintering' process.
 Mechanical entrapment
 van der Waals forces
 Chemical bonding
 All three mechanisms require wetting of the metal surface with porcelain
during sintering.
 To facilitate wetting, McLean recommended firing an initial air brushed
layer of opaque porcelain 20°C higher than the manufacturer's
recommended opaque firing temperature.

 various bonding mechanisms has been debated, but a chemical bond is

considered necessary to achieve the bond strengths for clinical dentistry.
 Research has shown that those alloys that form adherent oxides during the
degassing cycle also form a good bond to porcelain whereas those alloys
with poorly adherent oxides form poor bonds.
 Some palladium-silver alloys form no external oxide at all but rather oxidise
internally
 It 1s for these alloys that mechanical bonding is needed.

Chemical bond(Metal ceramic compatibility: A review of the literature (J

PROSTHET DENT 1990;63:21-5.)
 includes an intermediate oxide layer at the metal-porcelain interface.
 The porcelain at the interface partially dissolves and is saturated with metal
oxide.
 The metal oxide-saturated porcelain is in thermodynamic equilibrium with
the metal oxide.
 The metal oxide is saturated with metal so that a thermodynamic
equilibrium exists across the metal oxide-metal interface.
 As a result, a continuous electronic structure is formed from the metal
through the oxide layer to the porcelain, chemically bonding the porcelain to
the metal.

 Mechanical interlocking(McLean and Phillips).

 Mechanical entrapment as the name suggest creates atrraction between the
metal coping and the ceramic by inter locking the ceramic with
microabrasions created on the surface of the metal coping by,
 Finishing the metal with non-contaminated stones or discs.
 Air abrasion – enhance wettability, provides mechanical interlocking,
increases surface area of chemical bonding.
 Mackert et al. described pegging of adherent oxides into the alloy surface,
supporting the contention that mechanical interlocking can affect the
porcelain-metal bond.
 However, if roughness of a surface causes voids at the interface, adhesion
could be decreased.

 Van der Waals forces

 These forces comprise of an affinity based on a mutual attraction based on
charged molecules. They are minor force and not as significant as once
 thought however they play a major role in initiation of the most important
bonding mechanism – the chemical bond.
 appeared to contribute to the porcelain/ metal bond based on the contact
angle measurements of O'Brien and Ryge
 Mechanical entrapment across metal ceramic interface
 Air abrasion
 Burs and discs
 Chemical bonding b/w metal and porcelain
 Formation of oxides
 Noble metal alloys – Tin, Iron, Indium, Gallium
 Base metal alloys - Nickel, Chromium, Beryllium
 Failure of Metal Ceramic Restorations
 Adhesive failure at
 Porcelain metal interface

 Porcelain metal-oxide interface

 Metal metal-oxide interface

 Cohesive failure occur at

 Porcelain – porcelain interface

 Metal-oxide metal-oxide interface

 Metal metal interface

 COMPATIBILITY OF METAL CERAMIC SYSTEMS

 Acceptable restorations require the alloy and porcelain to be chemically,
thermally, mechanically, and esthetically compatible.
 Chemical compatibility implies a bond strong enough to resist both transient
and residual thermal stresses and mechanical forces encountered in clinical
function.
 initially involves the formation of an adherent oxide bound to the alloy and
second, the ability of the formed oxide to saturate the porcelain, completing
the chemical bond of porcelain to metal
 The degassing or oxidation firing produces the oxide layer required for
bonding.
 Thermal and mechanical compatibility include a fusing temperature of
porcelain that does not cause distortion of the metal substructure, along with
some degree of match of thermal expansion coefficients,(Craig restorative
dental material)
 First, the porcelain firings should not melt or distort the metal framework.
 Second, both materials should expand and contract with changes in
temperature to a similar but undefined degree.

 Thermomechanical compatibility problems have been evident; the passive

fit of a metal try-in maybe more secure
after porcelain application. (Shillingburg HT Jr, Hobo S, Fisher DW.
Preparation design and marginal distortion in porcelain-to-metal
restorations. J PROSTHET DENT 1973;29:276-84).
 This is a potential problem because the porcelain of tight-fitting metal
ceramic restorations can subsequently fail because of residual stress.
 Occasionally, a well-fitting metal coping may not fit after porcelain
application.
 When porcelain firing causes a change of fit, the problem is one of
thermomechanical compatibility.
 Researchers believe distortion of the metal substructure during porcelain
application is caused by a mismatch of expansion coefficients.
 Other reasons for distortion include
 release of residual casting stresses,
 Contamination of the intaglio (inside) of the casting with porcelain,
 grain growth,
 and sag (high temperature creep) of the metal substructure.
 esthetically compatible
 Finally, the metal ceramic combination must be capable of simulating a
range of tooth Shapes, shades, translucency, fluorescence, and surface
 finish, because failure to meet these requirements limits clinical
applications.
 Porcelain manufacture
Dental porcelain produced from a blend of

 Quartz(SiO2)
 Feldspar(pot aluminum silicate ,sod. aluminum silicate)
 Other oxides
 Porcelain technique
Condensation
 fine powder that is designed to be mixed with water or another
vehicle(water-based glycerine –containing liquid) and condensed into the
desired form
 If the particles are of the same size, the density of packing would not be
nearly as high.
 Thorough condensation is also crucial in obtaining dense packing of the
powder particles.
 Dense packing of the powder particles provides two benefits: lower firing
shrinkage and less porosity in the fired porcelain.

 Porcelain particles drawn together during condensation by capillary action

 The aqueous plastic mass of porcelain particles is compacted as much as

possible onto a platinum foil matrix.
 This reduces the size of the spaces between the particles thus reduces firing
shrinkage.
 Powders consisting of a mixture of particle sizes compact more easily than
those with particles of one size only.

 Proper condensation
 Minimizes steam generation during the drying phase of firing.
 When the mass is heated, individual porcelain particles conglomerate by
sintering.
 The viscous flow of unfused particles results in wetting and bridging
between such particles
 Consequently, a loss of interstitial space occurs, accompanied by as much as
a 27% to 45% volumetric shrinkage after firing.

i.vibration
 The first method uses mild vibration to pack the wet powder densely on the
underlying framework.

 The excess water is blotted or wiped away with a clean tissue

or fine brush, and condensation occurs toward the blotted or brushed area.
 ii. spatulation
 iii. Brush technique
 employs the addition of dry porcelain powder to the surface to absorb the
water.

 The dry powder is placed by a brush to the side opposite from an increment
of wet porcelain.

 As the water is drawn toward the dry powder, the wet particles are pulled
together.
 Whichever method is used, it is important to remember that the surface
tension of the water is the driving torce for condensation, and

 the porcelain must never be allowed to dry out until condensation is

complete.
 Sintering of Porcelain
 Purpose : sinter the particles of powder together properly to form the
prosthesis
 A porcelain furnace consists, essentially, of
 an electrically heated muffle
 with a pyrometer
 Most modern porcelain furnaces allow firing under vacuum.
Reduces the porosity within the finished material from around 4.6% to about
0.5%

 Cooling
 Catastrophic fracture of glass ;subjected to sudden temperature changes :
familiar experience
 Complex matter; when porcelain fused to metallic substrate
 slow cooling accomplished in a furnace muffle without power has caused
11% to 56% increases in leucite content of many porcelains.( Ceramics in
dentistry: Historical roots and current perspectives (J PROSTHET DENT
1996;75;18-32.)

 Metal substructure design and fit.

 Facial porcelain margins are one substructure modification developed to
enhance esthetics by eliminating the display of metal and allowing more
natural transmission of light.

 A more aggressive modification of substructures for abutments was

advocated to improve esthetics of metal-ceramic restorations, by preparing
castings I to 3 millimeters short of the shoulder preparation of the tooth.

 These shortened metal copings can provide a more natural optical effect in
the gingival third of the restoration than traditional “porcelain butt” margins.
 Shortened coping restorations have been described as promconjunction with
the root and overlying
 soft tissues, improconjunction with the root and overlying soft tissues,
improving esthetics of the restoration and reducing “graying” of the gingiva.
 Restorations fabricated with shortened metal copings have been reported to
be as strong during compressive loading as full-length copings based on
laboratory testing but are technically more demanding to fabricate

 The fit of metal-ceramic restorations improved substantially (fourfold) with

completion of an initial thermal cycling of the alloy substructure before
finishing of the surface and adjustment of the fit of the casting.(Ceramics in
dentistry: Historical roots and current perspectives J. Robert Kelly, DDS,
MS, (J PROSTHET DENT 1996;75;18-32.)
 Copings

 High tensile stresses are known to develop in porcelain veneers from a

contraction coefficient mismatch between alloy and porcelain.
 The tensile stresses induced within the porcelain by occlusal forces would,
of course, be added to residual thermal tensile stresses
 However when the metal and its porcelain veneer exhibit similar
contraction curves and an average contraction coefficient difference of 0 5
ppm/o C or less , fracture is unlikely to occur except in cases of extreme
stress concentration or extremely high intraoral forces(thermally compatible
systems)

 Swaged gold alloy ceramic system

CAPTEK
Acronym for “ capillary technology”

 Processing
 Press-fitting a metal-impregnated wax (Captek P)
 Captek P contain gold, platinum, and palladium
 After firing - high-platinum/high-palladium latticework
 Metal-impregnated wax (Captek G) press-fitted

 The molten Captek G drawn into the capillary network of the Captek P
 Advantages
  Superior esthetics
 Thinner foil coping – esthetics
 Underlying gold – warmth and life to restoration
 Precision fit
 Good strength
 Bonding of Porcelain to Metal Using Electrodeposited Substrates
 Ceramic bonding to metals in certain cases requires the electrodeposition of
metal coatings and heating to form suitable metal oxides.

 Deposition of a layer of pure gold onto the cast metal and a subsequent short
"flashing" deposition of tin have been shown to improve the wetting of
porcelain onto the metal and to reduce the amount of porosity at the metal-
porcelain interface.
 electrodeposited layer acts as a barrier between the metal casting and the
porcelain to inhibit diffusion of atoms from the metal into the porcelain,
within the normal limits of porcelain firing cycles.

 TYPES OF PORCELAIN
 Opaque Porcelain
 Body Porcelain.
 Incisal Porcelain.


Opaque Porcelain

 applied as a first ceramic coat & performs two major functions:

 masks the color of the alloy,
 responsible for the metal-ceramic bond.
 Consequently, the oxides of tin, titanium,and zirconium have a higher
refractive index than the components of the glass matrix (feldspar and
quartz): 2.01 to 2.61 and 1.52 to 1.54, respectively.
 When a specific range of oxide particle sizes is used, most of the incident
light is scattered and reflected rather than transmitted through the porcelain,
effectively masking the color of the alloy substrate.

 Body Porcelain.
 Body porcelain is fired onto the opaque layer, usually in conjunction with
the incisal porcelain.
 It provides some translucency and contains oxides that aid in shade
matching.
 available in a wide selection of shades to match adjacent natural teeth.
 Most porcelain manufacturers provide an opaque shade for each body shade.


Incisal Porcelain.

 translucent. As a result, the perceived color of the

 restoration is significantly influenced by the color of
 the underlying body porcelain.

 CONTENTS
 Methods of fabrication

 1. Conventional Porcelain Jacket Crown

 2. Aluminous Porcelain Crown
 3. Leucite reinforced feldspathic porcelain –OPTEC –HSP
 4. Magnesia based core material
 5.Glass ceramics
 a) Castable glass ceramics –Dicor
 b) Hydroxy apatite based Glass ceramics -Cerapearl
 c) Lithia based Glass Ceramics

 6.Hot pressed Injection molded Ceramics
 a) IPS Empress I- Leucite reinforced
 b) IPS Empress II- Lithia disilicate reinforced
 c) Alceram- Spinell based
 7. Slip cast Ceramics
 a) Inceram –Alumina
 b) Inceram Spinell
 c) Inceram zirconia

 8.Machinable ceramics
 a) CAD CAM ceramics- CEREC system
 b) Copy milled ceramics
 - Cercon & lava zirconia core ceramics
 - Celay system

 Ceramic materials and systems and manufacturer-recommended clinical

indications
 Porcelain jacket crown

 Feldspathic porcelains have been used to produce Porcelain Jacket crowns

ever since Land in 1903 introduced the platinum foil technique.

 Later in 1965 McLean and Hughes developed Aluminous porcelain by using

high strength core porcelains.
 PJC with Platinum Foil Matrix
 Technique –consists of accurately adapting a thin platinum foil to a die of
the prepared tooth and building up the ceramic slurry as with a metal
ceramic crown.

 When the restoration is completed the platinum foil is removed before

cementing .
 The dispersion of ceramic crystals of high strength and elastic modulus
within the glassy matrix can strengthen a dental porcelain. (Evolution of
dental ceramics in the twentieth century J Prosthet Dent 2001;85:61-6)
 As long as the glassy matrix has a thermal expansion similar to that of the
crystals, both overall strength and elastic modulus may be increased.
 McLean and Hughes used this method to develop the first aluminous
porcelains for the fabrication of crowns;
 they also established the principle of reinforcing the crown with a core
porcelain containing up to 50% weight-fused alumina crystals onto which a
matched-expansion veneer porcelain was baked.
 The method consists of bonding aluminous porcelain to platinum foil
copings. Attachment of the porcelains secured by electroplating the
platinum foil with a thin layer of tin
 and then oxidising it in a furnace to provide a continuous film of tin oxide
for porcelain bonding
 bonded foil will act as an inner skin on the fit surface to reduce subsurface
porosity and formation of microcracks in the porcelain,
 thereby increasing the fracture resistance of crowns and bridges
 The clinical performance of these crowns has been excellent for anterior
teeth, but approximately 15% of these crowns fractured within 7 years after
they were cemented to molar- teeth with a glass ionomer cement.
 In fact Mclean reported a fracture rate of molar aluminous porcelain crowns
of approximately 15% after 5 years

 GLASS CERAMICS
 MacCulloch 1968.
 His pioneering effort, in cooperation with the Pilkington Glass Company in
St Helen’s England, received very little recognition
 Dicor (Grossman and Adair)
 The original glass ceramic material contained tetrasilicic fluormica crystals
(K2Mg5SiO2OF4), which, because of their flexibility and platelike
morphology, added strength and resistance to fracture propagation.

 GLASS CERAMICS ( Castable & Machinable)

 polycrystalline solids (ie, loss of glassy structure by crystallization)
prepared by the controlled crystallization of glasses (devitrification) which
contains nucleating agents.
 The crystallization is achieved by heat treatment during which crystal
nucleation & growth are thermodynamically possible .
 The crystalline particles interrupt the propagation of cracks and increases
strength and toughness.

 Advantage of this process is that dental restorations can be cast by means of
lost wax technique, thereby increasing the homogeneity of the final product.

 Machinability is another property desirable for the maximum utility of glass

ceramics as dental materials.


MICA BASED GLASS CERAMICS: DICOR & DICOR MGC

 DI-COR
(DENTSPLY corning glass co)
 Non porous, non homogenous, microstructure with uniform crystal size
which is derived from the controlled growth of crystals within an
amorphous matrix of glass.

 Dicor is the first commercially available castable ceramic material.
 Tetrasilicic Fluormica(KMg2.5Si4O10F2) is the major crystalline phase
(55%).

 Dicor is a complex mixture of potassium oxide, magnesium oxide, fluorides

& zirconium dioxide
 Dicor is a castable glass that is formed into an inlay, facial veneer, or full-
crown restoration formed by a lost-wax casting process similar to that
employed for metals
 After the glass casting core or coping is recovered, the glass is sandblasted
to remove residual casting investment and the sprues are gently cut away.
 The glass is then covered by a protective "embedment" material and
subjected to a heat treatment that causes microscopic plate like crystals of
crystalline material (mica) to grow within the glass matrix.
 This crystal nucleation and crystal growth process is called ceramming.
 Once the glass has been cerammed, it is fit on the prepared dies, ground as
necessary, and then coated with veneering porcelain
 The ceramming process results in increased strength and toughness,
increased resistance to abrasion, thermal shock resistance, chemical
durability, and decreased translucency.

 Dicor, because of its high translucency, has a chameleon-like effect and

merges with the surrounding teeth.
 To overcome the problems associated with surface colorants, Dicor was
used as a cast coping that could be veneered with a specially prepared
aluminous porcelain.
 However, thin copings (less than 1 mm thick) tended to crack in service,
probably because of mismatches in thermal diffusivity or poor resistance to
pyroplastic flow during the firing of the veneer porcelain.
 Although it is highly esthetic, Dicor lacks fracture toughness and requires
direct resin bonding with the acid-etch technique if long-term resistance to
cracking is to be achieved.
 DICOR – MGC

 Higher quality-crystallized by the manufacturer and provided as CAD-

CAM Blocks or ingots.

 This contain 70% of Tetrasilicic Fluor mica platelets of 2μm in diameter.

 Mechanical properties are similar to Dicor glass ceramic but has less
translucency. (contrast iatio of 0.41-0 44 versus 0.56, respectively).

Advantages of Dicor glass-ceramic
 Ease of fabrication
 Improved aesthetics
 Minimal processing shrinkage
 Good marginal fit
 Moderately high flexural strength
 Low thermal expansion equal to that of tooth structure
 Minimal abrasiveness to tooth enamel.
 Disadvantages

 requires special equipments

 Veneers failure rate-----as high as 8%(posterior region)
 Must be stained with low fusing feldspathic porcelain
 Limited use in low-stress areas
 Inability to be colored internally
Pressable Class-Ceramics

Ceramic ingots are pressed between 1150ºc and 1180ºc (under pressure of 0.3 to
0.4MPa)

 A glass-ceramic ingot of the desired shade is plasticized at 920°C and
pressed into an investment mold under vacuum and pressure.(Current
ceramic materials and systems with clinical recommendations: A systematic
review J Prosthet Dent 2007;98:389-404)

 Heat pressed in the 890° c to 920°c temperature range.

 IPS Empress 2 has improved flexural strength by a factor of 3 over IPS
Empress, can be used for 3-unit FPDPs in the anterior area, and can extend
to the second premolar
 The framework is veneered with fluoroapatite-based veneering porcelain
(IPS Eris; Ivoclar Vivadent), resulting in a semitranslucent restoration with
enhanced light transmission

 IPS e.max Press (Ivoclar Vivadent)

 introduced in 2005 as an improved press-ceramic material compared to IPS
Empress 2.
 It also consists of a lithium-disilicate pressed glass ceramic, but its physical
properties and translucency are improved.

 IPS ProCAD (Ivoclar Vivadent)

 leucite-reinforced ceramic similar to IPS Empress, although it has a finer
particle size.
 Introduced in 1998, it is designed to be used with the CEREC inLab system
(Sirona Dental Systems, Bensheim, Germany) and is available in numerous
shades, including a bleached shade and an esthetic block line.
 SLIP CAST CERAMICS
 a) In-ceram Alumina
 b) In-ceram Spinell &
 c) In- ceram Zirconia

 A slurry of one of these materials is slip-cast on a porous refractory die and

heated in a furnace to produce a partially sintered coping or framework.
 The partially sintered core is infiltrated with glass at 1100°C for 4 hr to
eliminate porosity and to strengthen the slip-cast core.
 ADVANTAGES:
 Exhibit reduced porosity.
 Fewer defects from processing.
 Higher toughness than conventional feldspathic porcelains
 Adequate marginal adaptation and fit

 'l'he flexural strength (modulus of rupture) values of the glass-infiltrated

core materials are approxiinately
350 Mpa for In-Ceram Spinell (ICS),
500 Mpa for In-Ceram Alumina (ICA),
and 700 Mpa for In-Ceram Zirconia (ICZ)
compared with strengths of 100 to 400 MPa for Dicor, Optec Pressable
Ceramic, IPS Empress, and IPS Empress2.
 Because of the variation in strength, the primary indications for these core
ceramics vary

 After trimming the excess glass, the restoration is veneered using matched
expansion veneer porcelain.

 High flexural strength of 500 MPa (ICA)

 Indicated for anterior & posterior crowns and anterior three – unit FPDs
 Marginal fits of In- Ceram ceramic crowns and FPDs have been reported
indistinguishable from metal-ceramic units, with marginal openings of 24
um for crowns and 58 um for FPDs.(Marginal fidelity of all-ceramic
bridges. J Dent Res 1991;7o-540)
 ADVANTAGES
 Moderately high flexural strength & fracture toughness.
 Metal free structure .
 Ability to be used successfully with conventional luting agents.
 DISADVANTAGES
 Marginal adaptation not as good achieved with other ceramics.
  High degree of opacity.
 Inability to be etched.
 Technique sensitivity and relatively great amount of skilled labour
required.

 Inceram – Alumina
 Alumina based slip is applied to gypsum refractory die strengthened to
shrink during firing. Alumina content of the slip is more than 90% with
particle size of between 0.5 and 3.5 μm.

 Final core contains 70wt% alumina infiltrated with 30wt% sodium

lanthanum glass

Lanthanum :-
 decreases the viscosity of the glass to assist infiltration and
 increases its index of refraction to improve translucency of In-Ceram
ceramic.(Ceramics in dentistry: Historical roots and current perspectives J
PROSTHET DENT 1996;75AS-32.)
 Inceram – spinell
 Contains magnesium spinell as the major crystalline phase (Mg Al2O4) with
traces of alpha alumina, which improves the translucency of the final
restoration.

 Greater translucency than ICA & ICZ core ceramics.

 Flexural strength →350 Mpa. (Lower than ICA).

 Indicated for anterior single unit inlays, onlays and veneers

 Inceram Zirconia
 The ICZ core is mixture of Al2O3 & ZrO2 (tetragonal).
 Final core contains 30 wt% Zirconia & 70wt% Alumina.
 Flexural Strength of 700MPa.
 INDICATIONS :
 used for posterior crowns and posterior FPD‘S.
 Not recommended for anterior prostheses because of high opacity.
 Strongest & toughest of the three core ceramics & has greater opacity than
ICA.

Classification of all ceramic systems:
 CAD – CAM Ceramics
 CEREC
 CEREC 2
 CEREC 3
 CEREC InLAB
 PROCERA (NOBEL BIOCARE)
 LAVA (3M ESPE)

 CEREC System
 The development of the CEREC – CAD/CAM method which was the first
commercially available CAD/CAM device in dentistry started in 1980.

 The name CEREC stands for

 CEramic
 REConstruction.

 Now cerec stands for
 Chair Side
 Economical
 Restorations of
 Esthetic
 Ceramics.
This method was developed by Prof. W. Mormann and Dr. M.
Brandestini in 1980 at the University of Zurich in Switzerland in
collaboration with the BRAINS Company.
 Evolution of CEREC system
(Werner H. Mörmann, Prof. Dr. med. dent. The evolution of the
CEREC system JADA 2006;Vol. 137 sept: 7S-13S)
Components of the CEREC system:

 Three-dimensional video camera (scan head)

 An electronic image processing (video processing) and memory unit
(contour memory),

 A processor (computer)
 A miniature milling machine (three axis milling machine).
 Equipment
a computer integrated imaging and milling system, with the restorations
designed on the computer screen

 Clinical Procedure:
 Tooth Preparation Design:
 Optical impression

 The surface of the prepared teeth often lacks sufficient reflectivity or it may
have facets that give an uneven glaze to the computer screen.
 It is therefore necessary to coat the preparation with a special powder
(titanium dioxide) that has proper light reflectivity.
 CEREC is the first system that makes intra-oral scanned impressions a
reality. This is done through a small hand held camera. The camera,
illuminates the prepared tooth and the 2 adjacent teeth with its light source
and processes the image with the 3-D measuring camera.
 Design Phase:
 Milling Phase:
 After all the data has been supplied, the computer selects the size of the
ceramic block to be used in the milling process.
 There are wide range :
 Composition.
 Shade.
  Size.

 These blanks are factory fabricated and thus are more homogenous and less
porous than materials that are made in the lab.

 These materials also produce “chameleon effect”.

 The material is mounted on the metal stud, which allows it to be inserted in

to the milling hub.

 Once the material is inserted. The window is closed and the milling process
is activated.

 Advantages of CEREC System:

 One or two appointments.
 Optical impression, max time required is 5 sec.
 Wear hardness similar to enamel.
 Less fracture due to single homogenous block.
 Excellent polish.
 Improved esthetics.
 Time saving.
 Good occlusal morphology in relation to antagonist.
 Cerec inLab
 Introduced at the 2002 Chicago Mid-Winter meeting.
 The idea is to use CEREC's fast manufacturing processes for producing
crown "copings" and bridge "frameworks".

 Once the substructure has been milled, the technician glass infiltrates the
pre-sintered framework and then builds up the final restoration.
 Steps in fabricating the core:
 1) Scanning of the model -8-12 minutes
 2) Designing the substructure (on a PC)- 5 minutes
 3) Milling the substructure - 12-30 minutes
 4) Glass infiltration -5-10 minutes

 Procera* All-Ceram
(Nobel Biocare AB, Goteborg,
Sweden)
 PROCERA SYSTEM
 Procera All Ceram was introduced in 1994 by Anderson M. & Oden.

 A densely sintered, high purity alumina (Al2O3 >99.9%) is used in this

technique. Zirconia copings can also be produced with this technique.

 Procera scanner scans the surface of prepared tooth, transmit data to milling
unit to produce an enlarged die through CAD-CAM

 Has a Flexural strength of 601MPa .

 Lava from 3M ESPE

 Equipment

 Lava™ Scanner
 Lava™ Milling Unit
 Lava Therm furnace (sintering unit).


Lava (3M ESPE, St. Paul, Minn)

 uses a Y-TZP framework with high flexural strength, high fracture

toughness, and low elastic modulus compared to alumina, and exhibits
transformation toughening when subjected to tensile stress.
 A die is scanned by a contact-free optical process for
5 minutes for a crown
12 minutes for a 3- unit FPDP.
(Current ceramic materials and systems with clinical recommendations: A
systematic review J Prosthet Dent 2007;98:389-404)

 MATERIAL USED
Lava™ Frame Zirconia
 Lava™ Scanner
 Lava™ Milling Unit
 Lava™ Therm Furnace
 COPY MILLED RESTORATIONS

 CELAY ® System
 Mikrona Technologies
 Switzerland.
 Dentsply
Cercon® Zirconia
Ceramco

 COPY MILLED CERAMICS

 In this system, a hard resin pattern is made on a traditional stone die. This
handmade pattern is then copied and machined from a ceramic block using a
pantographic device similar in principle to the one used for duplicating
keys.

 The Celay system used this copy milling technique.

 CELAY SYSTEM

 Switzerland-------1992
 High precision manually operated

 Cercon® Zirconia
Dentsply Ceramco

 THE CERCON ZIRCONIA SYSTEM

 Used for producing zirconia – based prostheses.

 Material: Yttria-stabilized zirconia.

 Recommended Use: Anterior or posterior single crowns and multi-unit

bridges.

 Lab Processing: Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) of pre-sintered

zirconia.


 Properties: Flexural Strength>900MPa, Fracture Toughness=9.0MPa.m0.5,
VHN~1200, CTE~10.5 m/m/oC, at 500oC.

 Esthetics: Inherently translucent

 Veneering: Optimally matched to Cercon® Ceram S veneering porcelain.
 Technique
 Framework waxup
 Waxup is scanned and milled in the Cercon Brain
 Milled pattern ready for sintering
 Pattern is sintered using Cercon Heat
 Sintered pattern is seated and prepared for ceramic layering
 Completed Cercon Bridge

 Framework waxup

 Waxup is scanned and milled in the Cercon Brain

 Milled pattern ready for sintering

 Pattern is sintered using Cercon Heat

 Sintered pattern is seated and prepared for ceramic layering

 Completed Cercon Bridge

 Tinschert et al reported that the fracture resistance of three-unit ceramic

FPDs (1278 N) made of Cercon zirconia core ceramic (Dentsply Ceramco)
was more than twice as great as the values reported for In-Ceram Alumina
(514 N) and Empress2 (621 N).
 CONCLUSION
 Ceramics are playing an increasingly important role in restorative dentistry,
and further improvements in fracture resistance and wear properties will no
doubt enhance their restorative use.

 New dental porcelain systems that combine aesthetics with strength and
function will assist dental professionals in meeting the increased consumer
demand for lifelike teeth that perform like one‘s natural enamel and dentin.

 Successful application of these materials will depend upon the clinician’s

ability to select the appropriate material, manufacturing technique, and
cementation or bonding procedures, to match intraoral conditions and
esthetic requirements.
 REFERENCES

 Sciences of dental materials-11th edition- Philips

 Principles of tooth preparation- Rosensteil
 Restorative dental materials –Craig 11th ed
 Current ceramic materials and systems with clinical recommendations: A
systematic review J Prosthet Dent 2007;98:389-404)
 Marginal fidelity of all-ceramic bridges. J Dent Res 1991;7o-540
 .Ceramics in dentistry: Historical roots and current perspectives J
PROSTHET DENT 1996;75AS-32.

Thank you