Two decades of zirconia as a dental biomaterial - what have we learned?

Abstract

Yttrium oxide stabilized tetragonal zirconium-dioxide polycrystal (referred to as yttria-stabilized zirconia, Y-TZP or briefly zirconia) is a durable dental ceramic material that has exceptional biocompatibility. These properties make it an excellent material for use in the oral cavity. Zirconia was first introduced as a framework material (first generation) for tooth-supported single crowns and fixed dental prostheses (FDPs). The survival rates of these constructions are high, and the only draw back has been the exposition to superficial porcelain chipping, so called chip-off fractures. This was leading to learning curve in veneering techniques as well as development of new more translucent zirconia materials that can be used as monolithic structures without veneering porcelain or cut-back structures where only the labial facades are veneered. The purpose of this article is to describe the material properties of different zirconia materials as well as some clinical indications. (English) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]