Hussein Alaa, Aboushlieb Moustafa, Habib Nour A
Biomaterials Department, Faculty of Dentistry, October 6 University, 6th of October, Egypt.
Dental Biomaterials Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
BMC Oral Health. 2025 Jun 5;25(1):918. doi: 10.1186/s12903-025-06134-8.
Polymer infiltrated ceramic network (PICN) is a hybrid dental ceramic that mimics the properties of tooth structures. Unfortunately, commercially available PICN still present limitations such as low strength. Thus, the current study was conducted to prepare polymer infiltrated lithium disilicate ceramic network (PILN) and compare it with commercially available PICN regarding microstructure and biaxial flexural strength.
A fine powder of lithium disilicate was produced by grounding e.max CAD/CAM blocks. A porous lithium disilicate ceramic networks containing 25% (PILN-25) and 20% (PILN-20) porosity were produced by firing at 820C and 830C respectively. Polymer was infiltrated and polymerized to form a dense PILN. A total of 69 specimens were prepared and assigned into three groups (n = 23) according to the type of ceramic used in fabrication of the ceramic network. The comparable group was Enamic, while the intervention groups were (PILN-25) and (PILN-20). For two intervention groups, porosity and density were measured before and after polymer infiltration using helium pycnometer (n = 3 at each stage). SEM was used for microstructure analysis (n = 9) and One specimen was examined under FESEM for better visualization of the crystalline phases. Additionally, three specimens (n = 3) from each group were assigned for XRD testing and, finally, ten specimens for each group (n = 10) were subjected to biaxial flexural strength test. The statistical significance level was set at p ≤ 0.005.
There was a statistically significant difference in biaxial flexural strength, PILN-20 recording the highest significant strength followed by PILN-25 and Enamic. PILN-25 showed higher porosity% than PILN-20 and the porosity decreased after polymer infiltration. PILN-20 showed higher density than PILN-25 and density increased after polymer infiltration. XRD revealed the presence of lithium disilicate crystals in both PILN-25 and PILN-20. SEM revealed highly interlocked ceramic and polymeric networks. FESEM revealed the presence of spherical lithium disilicate crystals.
PILN is a new type of hybrid ceramic material with enhanced mechanical properties.
PILN can be used as a promising CAD/CAM block for creating high strength high esthetics dental restorations.
聚合物渗透陶瓷网络（PICN）是一种模仿牙齿结构特性的混合牙科陶瓷。不幸的是，市售的PICN仍然存在诸如强度低等局限性。因此，本研究旨在制备聚合物渗透二硅酸锂陶瓷网络（PILN），并在微观结构和双轴弯曲强度方面将其与市售PICN进行比较。
通过研磨e.max CAD/CAM块体来制备二硅酸锂细粉。分别在820℃和830℃烧制，制成孔隙率为25%（PILN-25）和20%（PILN-20）的多孔二硅酸锂陶瓷网络。使聚合物渗透并聚合以形成致密的PILN。总共制备了69个试样，并根据用于制造陶瓷网络的陶瓷类型分为三组（n = 23）。对照组为Enamic，干预组为（PILN-25）和（PILN-20）。对于两个干预组，在聚合物渗透前后使用氦比重计测量孔隙率和密度（每个阶段n = 3）。使用扫描电子显微镜（SEM）进行微观结构分析（n = 9），并在场发射扫描电子显微镜（FESEM）下检查一个试样以更好地观察晶相。此外，每组分配三个试样（n = 3）进行X射线衍射（XRD）测试，最后，每组十个试样（n = 10）进行双轴弯曲强度测试。统计学显著性水平设定为p≤0.005。
双轴弯曲强度存在统计学显著差异，PILN-20的强度最高，其次是PILN-25和Enamic。PILN-25的孔隙率百分比高于PILN-20，且聚合物渗透后孔隙率降低。PILN-20的密度高于PILN-25，且聚合物渗透后密度增加。XRD显示PILN-25和PILN-20中均存在二硅酸锂晶体。SEM显示陶瓷和聚合物网络高度联锁。FESEM显示存在球形二硅酸锂晶体。
PILN是一种新型的具有增强机械性能的混合陶瓷材料。
PILN可作为一种有前景的CAD/CAM块体，用于制作高强度、高美观性的牙科修复体。
