The effective design of zirconia coping on titanium base in dental implant superstructure

Zirconia exhibits good tissue compatibility and nontoxicity, making it a widely used esthetic replacement material for implant abutments. To avoid abutment-fracture, the parts composed of zirconia with a bonded metal component connected to the implant can be used. The purpose of this study was to design titanium and zirconia components with high fracture resistance at the zirconia component's edge line. Three edge line designs of the titanium base and zirconia sleeve were made: chamfer, shoulder, and back taper. To assess the strength of the abutment design, static loads were applied vertically and 30 degrees from the vertical axis. A test of tensile strength was also performed after chewing simulation. Conventional zirconia components mounted on a chamfer-type titanium base showed significantly lower fracture resistance than shoulder and back-taper types. This study suggests that to improve the durability of zirconia abutments with a titanium base, a back-tapered edge design is recommended.