Properties of Dental Zirconium Oxide and Metal-Ceramic: A Comparative Study

Abstract

Zirconium oxide which is intended to be a material that is quite attractive due to its key characteristics, i.e. aesthetic appearance and mechanical resistance, compared to dental metal-ceramics, which to date it has proven to be a satisfactory solution for many of the requirements in the dental market. Understanding the characteristics and properties of these materials provides a starting point for new trends in the development or improvement of solutions for various medical conditions. The research topic of this work aims to understand the characteristics and properties of two categories of materials that are so competitive in the field of dental restoration. For this purpose, the behaviour of some dental  crowns made of zirconium oxide and metal ceramic was evaluated in order to obtain experimental data regarding microhardness, corrosion and roughness, before and at different time intervals of immersion in a solution of corrosion, respectively saline solution (3.5% NaCl).