Self-glazed zirconia reducing the wear to tooth enamel

The wear behaviors of a newly developed grade of self-glazed zirconia against the enamel of freshly extracted teeth were investigated under simulated oral stresses and chemical environment. It was revealed that an inherently formed enamel-like surface on self-glazed zirconia that is very smooth on micrometer scale yet with nanoscale roughness has almost the same frictional coefficient against tooth enamel as the well-polished zirconia surface. The wear scars observed on the worn surface of enamel against self-glazed zirconia and well-polished zirconia surface revealed that in both cases fatigue wear is the dominating wear mechanism. It was concluded that the friction and wear performances of both the well-polished and self-glazed zirconia ceramics against natural enamel were very similar, which bears a very strong implication for the clinical safe use of the full contour zirconia restorations, yet the self-glazed zirconia provides sufficiently improved aesthetic appearance that ensures its potential for direct clinical uses.