No anstract available.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Spine*

All ceramic restorations have had a more limited life expectancy than metal ceramic crowns because of their lower strength. The relatively lower strength has limited the use of all-ceramic crowns to the areas where occlusal loads are lower. Therefore many researches have been done to increase the strength of all-ceramic crowns. IPS Empress 2 is a new type of lithium disilicate glass-ceramic with enhanced physical characteristics which has been in use clinically since 1998. Previous researches reported that the flexural strength of all-ceramic material was greater than 300MPa, and all-ceramic crowns can be used in staining or layering technique. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of the thickness of IPS Empress 2 ceramic on fracture strength. Both staining technique and layering technique was investigated. Vita VMK was used as control. For all three groups, five specimens each of 0.8mm, 1.0mm, 1.4mm, 1.8mm, and 2.2mm thickness (a total of 75 specimens) were prepared. Control group: Vita VMK Porcelain specimens were prepared with dentine ceramic and liquid glazing was done. Group I: IPS Empress 2 were prepared with staining technique and stained twice and glazed once. Group II : IPS Empress 2 were prepared with layering technique and glazed after wash firing. The thickness and diameter of the specimen were measured and controlled after specimen preparation. Biaxial Flexure Test (ASTM Standard F394-78) was adopted as this test method produces results least affected by the edge condition of the specimens. Fracture strength was measured with Instron Universal Testing Machine. Conclusions are as follow : 1. The fracture strength was increase in order of control group, test group I, test group II. 2. Fracture strength of the group I(Empress 2 Staining) was 65.54 N in 0.8mm, 155.2 N in 1.0mm, 233.5 N in 1.44mm, 434.5 N in 1.8mm, and 600.1 N in 2.2mm. 3. Fracture strength of the group II (Empress 2 Layering) was 190.0 N in 0.8mm, 283.5 N in 1.0mm, 437.2 N in 1.4mm, 732.0 N in 1.8mm, and 1115.0 N in 2.2mm. 4. No statistical difference was found in flexural strengths according to thickness in a specified group(p>0.05).
Ceramics* ; Crowns ; Dental Porcelain ; Dentin ; Fires ; Life Expectancy ; Lithium

No abstract available.
Peptic Ulcer*

All-ceramic restorations have become an attractive alternative to porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns. In-Ceram, and more recently IPS Empress 2 were introduced as a new all-ceramic system for single crowns and 3-unit fixed partial dentures. But their strength and marginal fit are still an important issue. This study evaluated the fracture resistance and marginal fit of three systems of 3 unit all-ceramic bridge fabricated on prepared maxillary anterior resin teeth in vitro. The 3 all-ceramic bridge systems were: (1) a glass-infiltrated, sintered alumina system (In-Ceram) fabricated conventionally, (2) the same system with copy-milled alumina cores (copy-milled In-Ceram), (3) a heat pressed, lithium disilicate reinforced glass-ceramic system (IPS Empress 2). Ten bridges of each system with standardized design of framework were fabricated. All specimens of each system were compressed at 55degree at the palatal surface of pontic until catastrophic fracture occurred. Another seven bridges of each system were fabricated with standard method. All of the bridge-die complexes were embedded in epoxy resin and sectioned buccolingually and mesiodistally. The absolute marginal discrepancy was measured with stereomicroscope at x50 power. The following results were obtained: 1. There was no significant difference in the fracture strength among the 3 systems studied. 2. The Weibull modulus of copy-milled In-Ceram was higher than that of In-Ceram and IPS Empress 2 bridges. 3. Copy-milled In-Ceram (112micrometer) exhibited significantly greater marginal discrepancy than In-Ceram (97micrometer), and IPS Empress 2 (94micrometer at P=0.05. 4. The lingual surfaces of the ceramic crowns showed smaller marginal discrepancies than mesial and distal points. There was no significant difference between teeth (incisor, canine) at P=0.05. 5. All-ceramic bridges of three systems appeared to exhibit sufficient initial strength and acceptable marginal fit values to allow clinical application.
Aluminum Oxide ; Ceramics ; Crowns ; Denture, Partial, Fixed ; Hot Temperature ; Lithium ; Tooth

The introduction of beta-adrenergic blocking agents for the treatment of glaucoma was a major advance in the continued search for medications that effectively control the intraocular pressure with minimal side effect. Beta-adrenergic blocking agents block the aqueous pump of the ciliary epithelium resulting in decreased aqueous formation and drop in intraocular pressure. The fact that beta-adrenergic blocking agents had an affinity to intraocular tissues containing melanin granules has been reported. The purpose of this study is to know that mechanism of decrease of intraocular pressure and an affinity to melanin granules of the beta-adrenergic blocking agents. Two drops of 1% befunolol were instilled in the albino and pigmented rabbits, and the eyes were enucleated on 1, 2, 6 and 24 hours after instillation. These eyes were studied with electron microscopic examination. The results were as follows: 1. In the non-pigment epithelium of the ciliary body, mitochondria became swollen. 2. These changes appeared earlier and were more remarkable in albino rabbits than in pigmented ones. 3. In pigmented rabbits, these changes appeared slowly, but continued for longer duration and it seems to be due to affinity of beta-adrenergic blocking agents to the melanin pigment. 4. Swelling of mitochondria at the non-pigmented epithelium of the ciliary body after instillation of beta-adrenergic blocking agents seems to be the pharmacological mechanism of the drugs against aqueous formation in the ciliary body.
Adrenergic beta-Antagonists ; Ciliary Body ; Epithelium* ; Glaucoma ; Intraocular Pressure ; Melanins ; Mitochondria ; Rabbits

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Recently Yttrium-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (Y-TZP) has been introduced due to superior flexural strength and fracture toughness compared to other dental ceramic systems. Although zirconia has outstanding mechanical properties, the phenomenon of decrease in the life-time of zirconia resulted from degradation in flexural strength after low temperature aging has been reported. PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to investigate degradation of flexural strength of Y-TZP ceramics after various low temperature aging treatments and to evaluate the phase stability and micro-structural change after aging by using X-ray diffraction analysis and a scanning electron microscope (SEM). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Y-TZP blocks of Vita In-Ceram YZ (Vita Zahnfabrik, Bad Sackingen, Germany) were prepared in 40 mm (length) x 4 mm (width) x 3 mm (height) samples. Specimens were artificially aged in distilled water by heat-treatment at a temperature of 75, 100, 125, 150, 175, 200, and 225degrees C for 10 hours, in order to induce the phase transformation at the surface. To measure the mechanical property, the specimens were subjected to a four-point bending test using a universal testing machine (Instron model 3365; Instron, Canton, Mass, USA). In addition, X-ray diffraction analysis (DMAX 2500; Rigaku, Tokyo, Japan) and SEM (Hitachi s4700; Jeol Ltd, Tokyo, Japan) were performed to estimate the phase transformation. The statistical analysis was done using SAS 9.1.3 (SAS institute, USA). The flexural strength data of the experimental groups were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance and to detect statistically significant differences (alpha= .05). RESULTS: The mean flexural strength of sintered Vita In-Ceram YZ without autoclaving was 798 MPa. When applied aging temperature at below 125degrees C for 10 hours, the flexural strength of Vita In-Ceram YZ increased up to 1,161 MPa. However, at above 150degrees C, the flexural strength started to decrease. Although low temperature aging caused the tetragonal-to-monoclinic phase transformation related to temperature, the minimum flexural strength was above 700 MPa. CONCLUSION: The monoclinic phase started to appear after aging treatment above 100degrees C. With the higher aging temperature, the fraction of monoclinic phase increased. The ratio of monoclinic/tetragonal + monoclinic phase reached a plateau value, circa 75% above 175degrees C. The point of monoclinic concentration at which the flexural strength begins to decrease was between 12% and 54%.
Aged ; Aging ; Aluminum Oxide ; Ceramics ; Collodion ; Dental Porcelain ; Electrons ; Humans ; Phenothiazines ; Tokyo ; Water ; X-Ray Diffraction ; Yttrium ; Zirconium

No abstract available.
Pregnancy, Heterotopic*

Due to an increasing interest in esthetics and concerns about toxic and allergic reactions to certain alloys, patients and dentists have been looking for metal-free tooth-colored restorations. Recent improvement in technology of new all-ceramic materials and composite materials has broadened the options for esthetic single crown restorations. The aim of this investigation was to study the fracture strength of the metal-free posterior single crowns fabricated using two recently introduced systems, Empress 2 ceramic and Targis-Vectris. Forty premolar-shaped stainless steel dies with the 1mm-wide circumferential shoulder were prepared. Ten cylindrical crowns having a diameter of 8.0mm and total height of 7.5mm were fabricated for each crown system respectively (PFM, Empress staining technique, Empress 2 layering technique, and Targis-Vectris). The crowns were filled with cement and placed on the stainless steel dies with firm finger pressure. The crowns were then stored in distilled water at room temperature for 24 hours before testing. The crowns were tested for fracture strength in an Instron universal testing machine (Instron 6022). With a crosshead speed of 1mm/min the center of the occlusal surface of the crown was loaded using a 4mm-diameter stainless steel ball until fracture occurred. The fracture surfaces of the crowns were gold coated and examined using scanning electron microscopy (Jeol JSM-840 Joel Ltd., Akishima, Tokyo, Japan). Within the parameters of this study the following conclusions were drawn: 1. The mean fracture strength for PFM crowns was 5829(+/-906)N; for Empress staining technique the fracture strength was 1697(+/-604)N; for Empress 2 Layering technique the fracture strength was 1781N(+/-400)N, and the fracture strength for Targis-Vectris was 3093(+/-475)N. 2. The fracture strength of the PFM crowns was significantly higher than that of the Empress 2 and the Targis-Vectris crowns (P<0.05). 3. The fracture strength of the Targis-Vectris crowns was significantly higher than that of the Empress 2 crowns (P<0.05). 4. No statistical difference was found when Empress staining technique was compared with Empress 2 layering technique. 5. The SEM image of fracture surface of Empress 2 crown showed a very dense microstructure of the lithium disilicate crystals and the SEM image of fracture surface of Targis-Vectris crown showed indentations of Vectris and some fibers torn off from Vectris.
Alloys ; Ceramics* ; Crowns* ; Dentists ; Esthetics ; Fingers ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Lithium ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Shoulder ; Stainless Steel ; Water

No abstract available.
Animals ; Gram-Negative Bacteria* ; Interleukin-2* ; Mice*

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Recently, resin cements have become more widely used and have been accepted as prominent luting cements. Current resin cements exhibit less microleakage than conventional luting cements. However, the constant contact with water and exposure to occlusal forces increase microleakage even in resin cements inevitably. Most bonding resins have been modified to contain a hydrophilic resin such as 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA) to overcome some of the problems associated with the hydrophobic nature of bonding resins. By virtue of these modifications, bonding resins absorb a significant amount of water, and there may also be significant stresses at bonding interfaces, which may adversely affect the longevity of restorations. Therefore the reinforcement of water stability of resin cement is indispensable in future study. PURPOSE: This study was conducted to examine the influence of water retention on microleakage of two resin cements over the period of 6 months. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 32 ex acted human teeth were used to test the microleakage of a single full veneer crown. Two resin cements with different components and adhesive properties - Panavia F (Kuraray Co., Osaka, Japan) and Super-Bond C&B (Sun Medical Co., Kyoto, Japan)- were investigated. The storage medium was the physiological saline solution changed every week for 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months. One group was tested after storage for 1 day. At the end of the each storage period, all specimens were exposed to thermocycling from 5.C to 55.C of 500 cycles and chewing simulation of 50,000 cycles, and then stained with 50% silver nitrate solution. The linear penetration of microleakage was measured using a stereoscopic microscope at x 40 magnification and a digital traveling micrometer with an accuracy of +/-3 um. Values were analyzed using two-way ANOVA test, Duncan's multiple range tests (DMRT). RESULTS: Statistically significant difference of microleakage was shown in the 3-month group compared with the 1-day or 1-month group in bot systems (p<0.05) and there were statistically significant differences in microleakage between the 3-month group and the 6-month group in both systems (p<0.05). The two systems showed different tendency in the course of increased microleakage during 3 months. In Panavia F, microleakage increased slowly throughout the periods. In Super-Bond C&B, there was no significant increase of microleakage for 1 month, but there was statistically significant increase of microleakage for the next 2 months. For the mean microleakage for each period, in the 3-month group, microleakage of Super-Bond C&B was significantly greater than that of Panavia F. On the other hand, in the 6-month group, microleakage of Panavia F was significantly greater than that of Super-Bond C&B (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Within the limitation of this study, water retention of two different bonding systems influence microleakage of resin cements. Further studies with the longer observation periods in viro are required in order to investigate water stabilty and the bonding durability of the resin cement.
Adhesives ; Bite Force ; Crowns ; Hand ; Humans ; Longevity ; Mastication ; Resin Cements* ; Silver Nitrate ; Sodium Chloride ; Tooth ; Virtues ; Water*