Effect of Aging Regimens on Resin Nanoceramic Chairside CAD/CAM Material

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of cyclic mechanical loading, thermal cycling, and storage in water on a resin nanoceramic chairside computer-aided designed/computer-aided manufactured (CAD/CAM) material compared to a control leucite-reinforced glass-ceramic material. Materials and Methods: One hundred twenty specimens (18 x 4 x 3 mm) were milled from two chairside CAD/CAM materials' blocks (Lava Ultimate: LU; Vitablock Mark II: VM). Each group included four subgroups (A: n = 20 control; B: n = 20 cyclic loading [105 cycles, 80 N]; C: n = 20 thermal cycling [5 to 55 degrees C]; D: n = 60 water storage [20: 3 months; 20: 6 months; 20: 9 months at 37 degrees C]). Each subgroup included 10 specimens tested for flexure strength using three-point bending in a universal testing machine. The other 10 specimens were tested for surface roughness using an automated profiler followed by testing for surface hardness using a microhardness tester. Results: LU displayed higher flexure strength than VM before and after all the aging conditions. The surface roughness for VM was lower than LU for the control, but both materials showed comparable values and significant increases after 9 months storage in water. After cyclic loading, only VM displayed a significant increase in the surface roughness value (p < 0.05). The surface hardness of VM was higher than LU for the control. VM did not show significant changes in hardness after any aging condition. LU showed significant reduction in surface hardness value only after storage in water (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The resin nanoceramic Lava Ultimate can be used as a durable substitute for glass-ceramic chairside CAD/CAM material.