Effect of the coloring liquid shade and dipping time on the color, transparency, and flexural strength of monolithic zirconia

Statement of problemThe impact of different coloring liquid shades and dipping times on the color, transparency, and flexural strength of monolithic zirconia ceramics is unclear.PurposeThe purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the effects of different coloring liquid shades (A2, 3M2, and 5M2) and dipping times (no dipping, 30 seconds, 60 seconds, and 90 seconds) on the color difference (ΔE00), relative translucency parameter (ΔRTP00), and 3-point flexural strength (σ) of monolithic zirconia ceramics.Material and methodsYttria-stabilized zirconia (3Y-TZP, 3 mol%) was cut into Ø16×1.2-mm plates (n=10) and 25×4×1.2-mm bars (n=15), which were colored using 3 shades of coloring liquid at 4 dipping times. Color coordinates were measured on a gray background by using a digital spectrophotometer with an integrating sphere attachment. The color and translucency differences were evaluated using 50:50% perceptibility (PT00 and TPT00) and acceptability (AT00 and TAT00) thresholds. The 3-point flexural strengths of the bar-shaped specimens were measured using a universal testing machine and analyzed using the Weibull distribution to calculate the Weibull modulus (m) and characteristic fracture strength (σ0). The data were analyzed with the 2-way ANOVA, Kruskal–Wallis, and LSD post hoc tests (α=.05).ResultsBoth shade and dipping time significantly affected the color and translucency of monolithic zirconia (P<.001). The ΔE00 was above the PT00 for all groups, with only 3M2–90 and A2–60 being below the AT00. The main cause of color differences was the difference in lightness. Only A2 showed ΔRTP00 below the TPT00 (A2–30 (ΔRTP00=0.26), A2–60 (ΔRTP00=0.29), and A2–90 (ΔRTP00=0.46)). All experimental groups showed translucency differences below TAT00. In addition, only the dipping time had a significant effect on the flexural strength of zirconia (P<.001).ConclusionsThe optical properties of monolithic zirconia ceramics were affected by the shade and dipping time of the coloring liquid. The mismatch in lightness was the main reason for the color difference. The dipping time affects the flexural strength of monolithic zirconia, whereas the shade of the coloring liquid did not seem to influence flexural strength.