Zirconia: properties and application - a review

ABSTRACT

Over the last decade, zirconia has propelled a rapid development of metal-free dentistry with improved material strength, enhanced esthethic and high biocompatibility for a wide range of promising clinical applications. It holds a unique place amongst the oxide ceramics due to its excellent mechanical properties owing to the phase transformation toughening mechanism. Like other side of the same coin, this mechanism is also responsible for its low temperature degradation which is the main limiting factor in the extensive use of zirconia. Zirconia is an inert material and presents reduced bond strength with the conventional ceramic cementation procedures. Bonding to traditional silica based ceramics is a predicta. A high percentage of clinical failures of zirconia-based restorations are attributed to debonding and or fracture of veneering ceramic. This review presents the properties, types of zirconia for dental application, the manufacturing procedures, the various application and its guidelines, luting of zirconia and bonding of the veneering ceramics