Clinical Fractography: understanding failures in

dental ceramics
Associate Prof. Paulo Francisco Cesar
University of So Paulo
School of Dentistry
Department of Biomaterials and Oral Biology

Collaborators:
Prof. Rodrigo Souza
Prof. Susana Salazar-Marocho

Universidade de So Paulo
Faculdade de Odontologia
Departamento de Biomateriais e Biologia Oral

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Outline:
1. Clinical evidences of porcelain chipping over zirconia
2. Types of chipping

3. Overview of factors affecting chipping

4. Fractography as tool for failure analysis
5. Presentation of a clinical case

1. Clinical evidence of porcelain chipping over zirconia

 Fracture rates (%) of the venering porcelain applied over Y-TZP in clinical trials
Continued...
Study
Larsson
Rinke
Zembic
Ortorp
Vigolo
Lops
Burke
Sailer
Schmitter
Schmitt
Molin
Sagirkaya
Pelaez
Salido

Year
2013
2013
2012
2012
2012
2013
2013
2007
2012
2012
2008
2012
2012
2012

Koenig et al., 2007

%Fracture
88.9
28.8
0
3
7.7
10.8
24.2
15
26.7
28
0
0.9
10
29.1

Beuer
Tinschert
Rinke
Sailer
Edelhoff
Beuer
Schmitt
Papaspyridakos
Raigrodski
Pospiech
Esquivel-Upshaw
Tsumita
Cehreli
Ohlmann
Bornemann
Ohlmann
Larsson

2010
2008
2013
2009
2008
2009
2010
2012
2006
2003
2013
2010
2009
2012
2003
2008
2006

7.4
6
5.8
33.4
9.5
0
5.9
31.3
25
2.6
16.7
14.3
0
20
3.3
13
54

2. Types of chipping

grade 1 = small chip that does not demand any action, except polishing.
grade 2 = moderate chip that can be repaired.
grade 3 = large chip that leads to replacement of the prosthesis.

Heintze & Rousson 2010

3. Overview of factors affecting chipping

Relatively low fracture toughness of dental porcelains;
Relatively high susceptibilty of dental porcelains to fatigue;
Unfavorable termal behavior of the bilayer porcelain/zircnia (residual stresses);

Microstrucutural changes ocurring at the veneer/framework interface;

Design/Geomtery of the prosthesis.

4. Fractography as tool for failure analysis

Quantitative (crack size)

Qualitative (descriptive)

KIc = Y a

in-vitro

in-vivo

4. Fractography as tool for failure analysis

In-vivo:
Search for fracture surface features
Map direction of crack propagation (dcp)

Identify the failure origin

5. Presentation of a clinical case

Y-TZP coping veneered with glass-ceramic

Age: 22 years;
Gender: female;
No parafunctional habits;
Metal post;
Luting cement: U100 (3M);

Lifetime: 1 year;
Slow cooling;

Y-TZP Coping: Lava (3M);

Veneering ceram: Emax Ceram;

 Cohesive fracture veneering ceramic

Adhesive fracture (delamination)

exposing the Y-TZP coping

Arrest lines

 Origin is here (occlusal).

Arrest lines indicate direction of crack propagation.

 Roughness of occlusal surface (buccal cusp).

Area without loss of glaze

layer (but a bit porous)

Multiple
damage.

areas

of

Wear of the glaze layer.

occlusal

 Multiple hackle lines.

 Origin

Conclusions
Origin on occlusal surface;
Relationship with cumulative damage on glaze layer;

Delamination was observed;

Possible problem with coping design.

Courtesy Rodrigo Souza

Courtesy Rodrigo Souza

Courtesy Rodrigo Souza

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