Comparison between novel strength-gradient and color-gradient multilayered zirconia using conventional and high-speed sintering

Objectives To investigate and compare the mechanical and optical properties of novel strength- and color-gradient multilayered zirconia and the impact of conventional and high-speed sintering. Materials and methods Following zirconia materials were analyzed and compared: the high-speed sintered Katana Zirconia Block STML (4Y-TZP, KZC), the conventionally sintered Katana Zirconia Disc STML (4Y-TZP, KZL) and IPS e. max ZirCAD Prime (5Y-TZP/3Y-TZP, EZL). As control group acted the crystallized lithium disilicate ceramic IPS e. max CAD (ELC). Monolithic single molar crowns were fabricated and half of them were aged in a chewing simulator with human enamel antagonists (1.2 × 106 cycles, 50 N, lateral movement of 0.7 mm, 5/55 °C). The fracture load was tested in a universal testing machine (N = 96/n = 12). The two-body wear was determined using 3D matching of pre- and post-scans (N = 48/n = 12). Translucency (N = 36/n = 10) was evaluated with UV/Vis spectrophotometer. Data was analyzed using Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, one-way ANOVA followed by post-hoc Scheffe test, unpaired t-test and Weibull analysis (p Results Zirconia groups showed higher fracture load than ELC (p ≤ 0.001). Initially, all zirconia materials ranged in the same values (p > 0.05). After chewing simulation, EZL showed higher fracture load than KZC (p Conclusions The novel strength and color-gradient multilayered zirconia showed higher mechanical properties than lithium disilicate ceramic. The high-speed sintering of zirconia showed neither a negative impact on the fracture load nor on the two-body wear. However, the optical properties and the reliability of zirconia is lower than those of highly translucent lithium disilicate ceramic.