Transmittance of visible and blue light through zirconia

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the transmittance of visible light (VL) (λ: 400–700 nm) and blue light (BL) (λ: 360–540 nm) through six CAD/CAM zirconia blanks (ZiB) in comparison to a lithium disilicate ceramic (LS2). Disks of the zirconia materials Bruxzir (BX), Cercon (CE), Lava Frame (LF), Lava Plus (LP), Prettau (PT), Zenostar (ZS) and LS2 (EM) were manufactured and the transmittance was measured in a spectrophotometer. ZS, followed by CE, PT, LP, LF, and BX showed the lowest transmittance of VL and BL. The highest transmittance was shown by EM. The transmittance of BL was lower than that of VL in all groups. EM ceramics showed higher transmittance than all zirconia materials and the thickness of zirconia materials influenced the transmittance values. Knowledge about VL and BL transmittance would help clinicians to individually tailor the selection of material to the specific indication and to make the right choice regarding the luting procedure and light curing duration.