Fatigue and Fracture Resistance of Zirconia Crowns Prepared with Different Finish Line Designs

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of finish line design on the fatigue, fracture resistance, and failure type of veneered zirconia restorations. Materials and Methods: A CAD/CAM system (Cercon) was used to prepare zirconia frameworks (0.5 mm thick) for a maxillary central incisor. Three finish line designs were evaluated: a complete narrow chamfer, a narrow chamfer with a lingual ledge, and a complete ledge. The prepared frameworks were veneered using a press-on ceramic (Ceram Press) and were cemented on the corresponding prepared teeth using a resin cement (Panavia F2.0). The cemented specimens were thermocycled, subjected to dynamic fatigue, and finally loaded till fracture. Fractured specimens were examined under a scanning electron microscope to assess fracture type. One-way ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc tests were used to analyze the data (a = 0.05). Results: The finish line design did not have any significant statistical influence on the fracture resistance (F = 1.9, p = 0.346) or on the failure type of the tested specimens. Adjusted R squared value (R = 0.049) indicated a weak correlation between finish line design and fracture load of the tested specimens. All specimens failed due to cracking and fracture of the veneer ceramic. Meanwhile, the framework remained entirely intact. Three narrow chamfer finish line specimens demonstrated adhesive fracture of the veneer ceramic during dynamic fatigue testing, related to overextension of the veneer ceramic during the layering procedure. Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, the finish line design did not influence the fatigue or the fracture resistance of veneered zirconia crowns. Selection of any of the finish line designs should be based on the clinical condition of the restored tooth.