Zirconia-enriched printing resin: mechanical, optical properties, and enamel wear resistance compared to conventional materials

• Grant number: 25/00101-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: July 01, 2025
• End date: September 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Dentistry - Dental Materials
• Principal Investigator: Renata Cristina Silveira Rodrigues Ferracioli
• Grantee: Paulo Eduardo Barros de Souza Oliveira
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia de Ribeirão Preto (FORP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The fabrication of indirect restorations using CAD/CAM can be performed through three-dimensional (3D) printing or milling. 3D printing offers advantages such as material savings, reducing dental treatment costs and contributing to environmental preservation. Previously, only provisional restorations were printed; however, new resins have been developed for the fabrication of permanent restorations. Additionally, the possibility of enhancing provisional resins with zirconia particles has emerged as a sustainable option. Information regarding the performance of permanent and zirconia-enriched resins for 3D printing is limited in the scientific literature. Their clinical indications remain unclear, and few studies have compared them with milled materials. This study aims to evaluate and compare milled materials (lithium disilicate-based ceramics, polychromatic zirconia, and nanohybrid resin) with printed materials (nanohybrid permanent resins, provisional resins, and zirconia-enriched provisional resins) in terms of abrasiveness to opposing teeth, color stability, translucency, and gloss. The study will be divided into two phases. Phase 1 will assess the abrasiveness to opposing teeth and investigate the wear resistance of milled and printed materials through a two-body wear test. In Phase 2, samples with different thicknesses (0.5/0.8/1.0 mm) will be evaluated for color, translucency, and gloss before and after immersion in coffee, using a spectrophotometer and the CIEDE2000 system.