Improving wettability, antibacterial and tribological behaviors of zirconia ceramics through surface texturing

3 mol% yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (3Y-TZP) ceramics are promising restorative materials being extensively used for fabricating dental prosthodontics. However, peri-implant inflammation and the severe abrasive wear on occlusive natural teeth are two critical problems in the clinical application of zirconia dentures. The paper aims to improve the antibacterial and tribological performance of 3Y-TZP ceramics through laser surface texturing. Three types of surface textures, including micro-honeycombs, micro-composite grids, and micro-grooves, were fabricated onto the zirconia specimens. The effects of different microtextures on the surface behaviors, including wettability, bacteria adhesion, and wear behavior, of 3Y-TZP ceramics were rigorously studied. The results indicate that the introduction of microtextures can change the solid-liquid contact of the zirconia surface, thus affecting its wettability. Wettability is a decisive factor that determinines the antibacterial behavior of textured zirconia ceramics. A hydrophobic surface is more conducive to inhibiting the adhesion, extension, reproduction of bacteria and thus achieves a superior antibacterial performance. The examined microtextures yield the improvement of wear resistance for the zirconia ceramics, but their performances depend on the texture density and the structural strength. The results obtained can provide technical guidance for the design and application of microtextures in the restorative dental fields.