Investigating correlations between translucency and wear resistance in lithium silicate-based dental glass-ceramics

Lithium silicate-based glass-ceramics are widely employed dental materials, showing superior aesthetics (determined by translucency) but poorer wear resistance under severe contact conditions than alternative, artificial crown materials. This work investigates possible correlations between the level of translucency and resistance to wear (in vitro) under sliding contact against hard zirconia antagonists in commercial lithium disilicate and zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate dental glass-ceramics. Wear rates are quantified, and mechanisms responsible for material removal are analyzed. Results are discussed in terms of the materials' microstructure and mechanical properties within the framework of a fracture mechanics model. Finally, implications for materials selection in dentistry are briefly discussed. (c) 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Espa n similar to a, S.L.U. on behalf of SECV. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by-nc-nd/4.0/).