Purpose : This study evaluated the impact of ultra-highly translucent zirconia thickness on the final prosthetic color, specifically examining variations in transparency and abutment tooth color.
Methods : Ultra-highly translucent zirconia disks (Shofu Disk ZR Lucent Ultra, Shofu) in two shades (A2, W3) were used. Dental CAD-CAM equipment was employed to fabricate samples of approximately 11 mm×11 mm in width and length, and thicknesses of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0 mm (±0.01 mm) (n=12 per thickness). The transparency of the specimens was measured with a spectrophotometer, and transparency parameter (TP) was analyzed in terms of thickness differences. To assess the influence of background color, two types of resin plates simulating healthy dentin (ND3) and discolored dentin (ND9) were used. Color measurements for L*, a*, and b* were obtained using a spectrophotometer, with the color difference (ΔE00) calculated against a 3.0 mm-thick zirconia reference. TP and ΔE00 were statistically analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by the Tukey-Kramer HSD multiple comparison test, with the significance level set at 5% (JMP Pro 17.0.0, SAS).
Results : Regarding the transparency for different thicknesses, TP values ranged from 8.1 to 24.7 for A2 and 7.6 to 25.2 for W3, showing a reduction in TP with increasing thickness in both shades. Statistically significant differences were observed at each thickness level. Regarding ND3 abutment tooth color, ΔE00 values ranged from 3.74 to 5.01, with no significant changes in ΔE00 for different zirconia thicknesses. However, for ND9, ΔE00 values ranged from 6.86 to 10.63, with a trend toward decreased ΔE00 as zirconia thickness increased. Significant thickness-dependent differences were observed within the same abutment color group (p<0.05).
Conclusion : The transparency of ultra-highly translucent zirconia was influenced by its thickness. Additionally, the final color of the zirconia was affected by the color of the abutment tooth. In cases with significantly discolored teeth or metal abutment structures, it is suggested that thinner zirconia may more readily allow the underlying abutment color to impact the overall appearance.
抄録全体を表示