Impact of the material and sintering protocol, layer thickness, and thermomechanical aging on the two-body wear and fracture load of 4Y-TZP crowns

Objectives The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of the material and corresponding sintering protocol, layer thickness, and aging on the two-body wear (2BW) and fracture load (FL) of 4Y-TZP crowns. Materials and methods Multi-layer 4Y-TZP crowns in three thicknesses (0.5 mm/1.0 mm/1.5 mm) were sintered by high-speed (Zolid RS) or conventional (Zolid Gen-X) sintering. 2BW of ceramic and enamel antagonist after aging (1,200,000 mechanical-, 6000 thermal-cycles) was determined by 3D-scanning before and after aging and subsequent matching to determine volume and height loss (6 subgroups, n = 16/subgroup). FL was examined initially and after aging (12 subgroups, n = 16/subgroup). Fractographic analyses were performed using light-microscope imaging. Global univariate analysis of variance, one-way ANOVA, linear regression, Spearman’s correlation, Kolgomorov–Smirnov, Mann–Whitney U, and t test were computed (alpha = 0.05). Weibull moduli were determined. Fracture types were analyzed using Ciba Geigy table. Results Material/sintering protocol did not influence 2BW (crowns: p = 0.908, antagonists: p = 0.059). High-speed sintered Zolid RS presented similar (p = 0.325–0.633) or reduced (p p p Conclusions High-speed sintered crowns with a minimum thickness of 1.0 mm showed sufficient mechanical properties to withstand masticatory forces, even after a simulated aging period of 5 years. Clinical relevance Despite the manufacturer indicating a thickness of 0.5 mm to be suitable for single crowns, a minimum thickness of 1.0 mm should be used to ensure long-term satisfactory results.