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Aim: Evaluating the fracture resistance of dental ceramics is essential for assessing their behavior. This study aimed to validate a custom load-to-fracture test for assessing fracture strength compared to a conventional method., Materials and Methods: Acoustic emission testing, a non-destructive (ND) lab test, was employed to evaluate the fracture toughness (FT) of brittle materials by capturing sound waves generated by crack formation in failing samples. A total of 130 samples, divided into three types (glass sheets, zirconia sheets, and monolithic zirconia crowns), were tested. The fracture loads were measured using both custom and conventional methods., Results: The mean fracture loads for glass sheets were 650.46 N ± 110.38 (custom) compared to 691.41 N ± 155.92 (conventional). For zirconia sheets, the values were 95.25 N ± 7.78 (custom) vs 112.75 N ± 31.26 (conventional). Monolithic zirconia crowns showed mean fracture loads of 1108.99 N ± 327.89 (custom) compared to 1292.52 N ± 271.42 (conventional). Statistically significant differences were evident in all three types, indicating lower values with custom testing for all samples., Conclusion: The custom testing demonstrated an advantage in identifying cracks at lower loads, thereby enhancing the accuracy of fracture load values. Despite its limitations, the study suggests that the custom setup could be a viable alternative to conventional fracture load testing of brittle materials. However, further testing with more materials is recommended to enhance the results' accuracy and generalizability., Clinical Significance: The findings indicate that the custom load-to-fracture test can provide more accurate measurements of FT in dental ceramics, which is crucial for predicting their clinical performance and longevity. How to cite this article: Haddad C, Eng JG, Zoghbi AE. The Acoustic Emission Testing in the Evaluation of Fracture Toughness of Brittle Materials. J Contemp Dent Pract 2024;25(7):617-623.

Aim and Objective: Force platforms are widely used to evaluate the relationship between bodily posture and jaw positions. The aim and objective of this clinical prospective study was to evaluate the effect of occlusal splints on bodily posture using force platforms., Materials and Methods: Forty-seven female patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) underwent a clinical and postural examination before and during an occlusal treatment with an upper splint. Six postural stabilometric examinations were performed under different visual conditions. Postural stability was assessed using a force platform (SATEL). Subjects were evaluated in static and dynamic conditions, with open and closed eyes, at baseline, at 1 week, and at 3 months. Changes in stabilometric parameters (sway area and sway length) were assessed and compared., Results: In static and dynamic positions, the sway surface area decreased significantly after the occlusal guard placement with closed eyes ( p -value, 0.012). Likewise, the sway surface area decreased significantly in the dynamic lateral position with closed eyes ( p -value, 0.018) and in anteroposterior dynamic position with open eyes ( p -value, 0.031). The mean sway length decreased significantly after the placement of the occlusal guard when participants were in the lateral position with open eyes ( p -value, 0.025) and in the anteroposterior position with open eyes ( p -value, 0.014). On a 3-month assessment, the mean surface and mean length decreased significantly after the placement of the occlusal guard for practically all the static and dynamic positions., Conclusion: The sway surface area and sway length decreased significantly with the use of occlusal splints Clinical significance: In female patients with TMD, the use of an occlusal splint is associated with a postural improvement evaluated by posturo-stabilometric tests.