PURPOSE: Polymer infiltrated ceramic network (PICN) materials, also called hybrid ceramics, are new materials in dental market. The manufacturer of the PICN material VITA Enamic suggests 3 different finishing procedures for this new material. In the present study, surface roughness and color differences caused from different finishing procedures of VITA Enamic were investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 120 specimens were prepared in dimensions 2 x 10 x 12 mm from VITA Enamic hybrid ceramic blocks with 'high translucency' and 'translucency 2M2' shades. The specimens were divided into 8 groups. For each group, different finishing procedures suggested by the manufacturer were performed. Surface roughness values were determined by a tactile portable profilometer. Color changes were evaluated using a clinical spectrophotometer. The data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey's post-hoc comparison. The significance level was set at alpha=0.05. RESULTS: The roughest surfaces were observed in Glaze Groups. Their surface roughness values were similar to that of the control group. Clinical Kit and Technical Kit groups did not show a statistically significant difference regarding surface roughness (P>.05). The largest color difference regarding DeltaE00 was observed in Clinical Kit finishing groups. There were also statistically significant color changes between the groups (P<.05). However, all the groups showed clinically acceptable color change (DeltaE(00)<2.25) except Clinical Kit Groups (DeltaE(00)>2.25). CONCLUSION: Within the limitations of the present study, it may be suggested that finishing the VITA Enamic restorations by Technical Kit instead of Glaze and Clinical Kit gives better clinical performance in regard to surface roughness and shade matching.
Ceramics* ; Polymers*

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate occlusal contacts generated by 3 different biogeneric design modes (individual (BI), copy (BC), reference (BR)) of CEREC software and to assess the designs subjectively. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten pairs of maxillary and mandibular casts were obtained from full dentate individuals. Gypsum cast contacts were quantified with articulating paper and digital impressions were taken. Then, all ceramic crown preparation was performed on the left first molar teeth and digital impressions of prepared teeth were made. BI, BC, and BR crowns were designed. Occlusal images of designs including occlusal contacts were superimposed on the gypsum cast images and corresponding contacts were determined. Three designs were evaluated by the students. RESULTS: The results of the study revealed that there was significant difference among the number of contacts of gypsum cast and digital models (P<.05). The comparison of the percentage of virtual contacts of three crown designs which were identical to the contacts of original gypsum cast revealed that BI and BR designs showed significantly higher percentages of identical contacts compared with BC design (P<.05). Subjective assessment revealed that students generally found BI designs and BR designs natural regarding naturalness of fissure morphology and cusp shape and cusp tip position. For general occlusal morphology, student groups generally found BI design "too strong" or "perfect", BC design "too weak", and BR design "perfect". CONCLUSION: On a prepared tooth, three different biogeneric design modes of a CAD/CAM software reveals different crown designs regarding occlusal contacts and morphology.
Calcium Sulfate ; Ceramics ; Crowns ; Dental Occlusion ; Dental Prosthesis Design ; Humans ; Molar ; Tooth

PURPOSE: Beverages may affect the translucency of esthetic dental restorative materials. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of coffee and red wine on the translucency of a PICN material with two translucency levels, and finished with different methods. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 2M2 high translucent and translucent VITA Enamic hybrid ceramic blocks were investigated. Rectangular specimens with the dimensions of 12 mm × 14 mm × 2 mm were prepared. The specimens were finished and polished with different methods as suggested by the manufacturer. The translucency parameters of the specimens were evaluated before and after 24 hours, 7 days, and 28 days immersion in distilled water, coffee and red wine. Translucency parameters were measured using a portable spectrophotometer. RESULTS: At the end of 28 days, there was no statistically significant difference between the groups of specimens kept in coffee (P>.05). In the red wine groups, there was a statistically significant difference between the control group and all other groups (P<.05) at the end of 28 days. CONCLUSION: The translucency of hybrid ceramic for a restoration may not be important regarding the effects of coffee on translucency change because the specimens with different translucencies and finishing methods that were immersed to coffee had similar translucency parameters at the end of 28 days. The translucency of hybrid ceramic may be important in the case of red wine, however, since the results showed that highly translucent specimens exposed to red wine demonstrated better translucency parameters than specimens made from translucent blocks at the end of 28 days.
Beverages ; Ceramics* ; Coffee ; Immersion ; Methods* ; Water ; Wine