Surface Hardness of Polished Dental Zirconia: Influence of Polishing and Yttria Content on Morphology, Phase Composition, and Microhardness

Labetić, Andrea; Klaser, Teodoro; Skoko, Željko; Jakovac, Marko; Žic, Mark (2025) Surface Hardness of Polished Dental Zirconia: Influence of Polishing and Yttria Content on Morphology, Phase Composition, and Microhardness. Materials, 18 (14). ISSN 1996-1944

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Abstract

This study examined the relationship between microhardness, morphology, and phase composition of dental yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystals (Y-TZP), which directly impact their long-term clinical performance and durability. The primary objective was to investigate the effects of yttria content and polishing on the surface properties and hardness of these materials. Samples from ZirCAD Prime, Cercon ht ML, ZIRCONIA YML, and ZirCAD LT were analyzed using Vickers hardness testing, Powder X-ray Diffraction (PXRD), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). SEM analysis revealed a gradual increase in grain size and porosity with higher yttria content in unpolished samples. Polishing resulted in a relatively uniform surface morphology with observable striations across all samples, subsequently leading to similar Vickers hardness values for all polished samples. PXRD and SEM analyses identified that these similar hardness values were likely due to the predominant monoclinic phase on the surface, induced by polishing. These findings underscore the significant influence of yttria content and polishing on Y-TZP microstructure and surface hardness, highlighting their critical role in the long-term success and clinical applicability of dental restorations.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	multilayer zirconia; microhardness; ZirCAD Prime; Cercon ht ML; Katana ZIRCONIA; ZirCAD LT; polishing; Y-TZP
Subjects:	BIOMEDICINE AND HEALTHCARE > Dental Medicine > Prosthetic Dentistry
Divisions:	Division of Materials Physics
Projects:	Project title Project leader Project code Project type Centar za Napredna Istraživanja Kompleksnih Sustava-CeNIKS Mihael Srđan Grbić; Emil Tafra KK.01.1.1.02.0013 EK Otvorene znanstvene infrastrukturne platforme za inovativne primjene u gospodarstvu i društvu-O-ZIP David Matthew Smith KK.01.1.1.11.0001 EK
Depositing User:	Lorena Palameta
Date Deposited:	29 Jul 2025 09:22
URI:	http://fulir.irb.hr/id/eprint/9920
DOI:	10.3390/ma18143380

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