Izabela Cristina Maurício Moris

Mechanical analysis of conventional and small diameter conical implant abutments.

PURPOSE The aim of the present study was to evaluate if a smaller morse taper abutment has a negative effect on the fracture resistance of implant-abutment connections under oblique compressive loads compared to a conventional abutment. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty morse taper conventional abutments (4.8 mm diameter) and smaller abutments (3.8 mm diameter) were tightened (20 Ncm) to their respective implants (3.5 × 11 mm) and after a 10 minute interval, implant/abutment assemblies were subjected to static compressive test, performed in a universal test machine with 1 mm/min displacement, at 45° inclination. The maximum deformation force was determined. Data were statistically analyzed by student t test. RESULTS Maximum deformation force of 4.8 mm and 3.8 mm abutments was approximately 95.33 kgf and 95.25 kgf, respectively, but no fractures were noted after mechanical test. Statistical analysis demonstrated that the evaluated abutments were statistically similar (P=.230). CONCLUSION Abutment measuring 3.8 mm in diameter (reduced) presented mechanical properties similar to 4.8 mm (conventional) abutments, enabling its clinical use as indicated.

Wear resistance and compression strength of ceramics tested in fluoride environments

Dental ceramics have been widely used because of aesthetic, but wear is still questioned. There are relates that ceramic surface is prone to degradation by acidulated fluoride, that can increase wear rates. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of neutral and acidulated fluoride gel, used as preventive agents for professional use, at wear and compression strength of dental ceramics IPS e.max ZirPress (ZIR), IPS Empress Esthetic (EMP) e IPS Inline POM (POM). For this, 30 crowns and 30 disks were obtained by heat-pressing. Crowns and disks were submitted to two-body wear test at machine of mechanical loading, simulating occlusion, lateral movement and disocclusion. It was performed 300,000 cycles at 1Hz frequency under 20N load, to simulate 1 year of mastication. Samples were totally immersed during the test and were divided into three groups according to the gel used for immersion (n=10): control, neutral (sodium fluoride 2%) and acidulated (acidulated phosphate fluoride 1.23%). Samples (crowns and disks) were analyzed for vertical height loss after the test using, respectively, profile projector and stereomicroscope. Roughness of worn surface of crowns and disks was evaluated by laser confocal microscopy. Data of height loss and roughness were evaluated by two-way ANOVA and Bonferronis test. A crown/disk of each group was analyzed by scanning electronic microscopy. After wear resistance tests, crowns were cemented to their abutments and submitted to compressive load at 30° angulation and 1mm/min speed. Type of failures was compared by qui-square test. Ceramic EMP worn less while ZIR worn more. Control gel worn more at crowns while acidulated gel worn more at disks. Surface roughness of samples tested at acidulated gel was significantly lower. Type of failures found at compression resistance tests was affected by ceramic type, but not by gel used. The results suggest that ceramic and fluoride gel affect wear and roughness of worn surface while type of failure is only affected by ceramic.

Torque loss of different abutment sizes before and after cyclic loading.

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to compare 3.8- and 4.8-mm abutments submitted to simulations of masticatory cycles to examine whether abutment diameter and cemented vs screw-retained crowns affect torque loss of the abutments and crowns. MATERIALS AND METHODS Forty implant/abutment sets were divided into the following groups (n = 10 in each group): (1) G4.8S included 4.8-mm abutment with screw-retained crown; (2) G4.8C included 4.8-mm abutment with cemented crown; (3) G3.8S included 3.8-mm abutment with screw-retained crown; and (4) G3.8C included 3.8-mm abutment with cemented crown. All abutments were tightened with torque values of 20 Ncm, and 10 Ncm for screw-retained crowns. Torque loss was measured before and after cycling loading (300,000 cycles). RESULTS Torque loss of screw-retained crowns significantly increased after cycling in abutments of groups G3.8S (P ≤ .05) and G4.8S (P = .001). No difference was noted between the abutments before cycling (P = .735), but G3.8S abutments presented greater torque loss than the other groups after cycling (P = .008). Significant differences were noted in the abutment torque loss before and after cycling loading only for the G3.8C group (P ≤ .05). CONCLUSION The abutment diameter affects torque loss of screw-retained crowns and leads to failure during the test; mechanical cycling increases torque loss of abutment screw and screw-retained crowns.

In Vitro Fit and Cementation Resistance of Provisional Crowns for Single Implant-Supported Restorations

This study aimed to verify marginal fit and the effect of cement film thickness standardization on retention of provisional crowns made with prefabricated acrylic cylinders on abutments, using two temporary luting agents subjected or not to mechanical cycling. Provisional crowns were made from bis-acryl (Luxatemp Fluorescence) or methyl methacrylate (Duralay) resins on acrylic cylinders and marginal fit and cement film thickness were evaluated. For retention evaluation, crowns were cemented with two temporary luting agents: non-eugenol zinc oxide (Tempbond NE) or calcium hydroxide-based (Hydcal) cements and subjected to tensile strength in a universal testing machine. After cleaning, debonded crowns were cemented again, subjected to mechanical cycling and retention was reassessed. The results of marginal fit and cement film thickness were analyzed by Students t-test while retention of cements before and after mechanical cycling was analyzed using a mixed linear model. Methyl methacrylate crowns presented greater marginal misfit (p=0.001) and occlusal cement film thickness (p=0.003) than the bis-acryl ones. No difference was observed at axial cement film thickness (p=0.606). Resins (p=0.281) did not affect crown retention, but luting agents (p=0.029) and mechanical cycling (p=0.027) showed significant effects. The only significant interaction was mechanical cycling*luting agents, which means that luting agents were differently affected by mechanical cycling (p=0.002). In conclusion, the results showed that bis-acryl resin associated to calcium-hydroxide luting agent provided the best retention and lower cement thickness.

Custom Morse taper zirconia abutments: Influence on marginal fit and torque loss before and after thermomechanical cycling

The use of zirconia abutments has increased because of aesthetics, but sometimes customization is necessary and its effect is unclear. This study evaluated the marginal fit and torque loss of customized and non-customized aesthetic zirconia abutments associated with Morse taper implants before and after thermomechanical cycling. Twenty-four implant/abutment/crown sets were divided into three groups (N = 8): Zr - non-customized zirconia abutments, Zrc - customized zirconia abutments, and Ti - titanium abutments. The ceramic crowns of the upper canines were made. All of the abutments were tightened with 15-N.cm torque, and the crowns were cemented on the abutments. The misfits and torque loss were measured before and after thermomechanical cycling. The marginal fit was evaluated in two planes throughout 10 different slices, 30 measurements for each face (i.e., buccal, palatal, mesial and distal) and 120 measurements for each sample. A load of 100N, a frequency of 2Hz and 1000,000 cycles with temperature variation of 5°-55°C were used for thermomechanical cycling. Thermomechanical cycling significantly decreased the marginal misfit only with the Zrc (p = 0.002), and the Ti was significantly different from the Zr and Zrc before and after thermomechanical cycling. Thermomechanical cycling did not affect the torque losses of the groups, but a significant difference between the Zr and Zrc (p = 0.0345) before cycling was noted. Customization of zirconia abutments does not significantly affect torque loss and marginal misfit after thermomechanical cycling suggesting that they can be safe for clinical utilization.

Fracture loads and failure modes of customized and non-customized zirconia abutments

OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the fracture load and pattern of customized and non-customized zirconia abutments with Morse-taper connection. METHODS 18 implants were divided into 3 groups according to the abutments used: Zr - with non-customized zirconia abutments; Zrc - with customized zirconia abutments; and Ti - with titanium abutments. To test their load capacity, a universal test machine with a 500-kgf load cell and a 0.5-mm/min speed were used. After, one implant-abutment assembly from each group was analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). For fractographic analysis, the specimens were transversely sectioned above the threads of the abutment screw in order to examine their fracture surfaces using SEM. RESULTS A significant difference was noted between the groups (Zr=573.7±11.66N, Zrc=768.0±8.72N and Ti=659.1±7.70N). Also, the zirconia abutments fractured while the titanium abutments deformed plastically. Zrc presented fracture loads significantly higher than Zr (p=0.009). All the zirconia abutments fractured below the implant platform, starting from the area of contact between the abutment and implant and propagating to the internal surface of the abutment. All the zirconia abutments presented complete cleavage in the mechanical test. Fractography detected differences in the position and pattern of fracture between the two groups with zirconia abutments, probably because of the different diameters in the transmucosal region. SIGNIFICANCE Customization of zirconia abutments did not affect their fracture loads, which were comparable to that of titanium and much higher than the maximum physiological limit for the anterior region of the maxilla.

Influence of Manufacturing Methods of Implant-Supported Crowns on External and Internal Marginal Fit: A Micro-CT Analysis

Aim To evaluate the influence of different manufacturing methods of single implant-supported metallic crowns on the internal and external marginal fit through computed microtomography. Methods Forty external hexagon implants were divided into 4 groups (n = 8), according to the manufacturing method: GC, conventional casting; GI, induction casting; GP, plasma casting; and GCAD, CAD/CAM machining. The crowns were attached to the implants with insertion torque of 30 N·cm. The external (vertical and horizontal) marginal fit and internal fit were assessed through computed microtomography. Internal and external marginal fit data (μm) were submitted to a one-way ANOVA and Tukeys test (α = .05). Qualitative evaluation of the images was conducted by using micro-CT. Results The statistical analysis revealed no significant difference between the groups for vertical misfit (P = 0.721). There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) for the internal and horizontal marginal misfit in the groups GC, GI, and GP, but it was found for the group GCAD (P ≤ 0.05). Qualitative analysis revealed that most of the samples of cast groups exhibited crowns underextension while the group GCAD showed overextension. Conclusions The manufacturing method of the crowns influenced the accuracy of marginal fit between the prosthesis and implant. The best results were found for the crowns fabricated through CAD/CAM machining.