Coating method for smooth and reinforced surface layer of highly translucent zirconia

Due to the recent evolution of dental ceramic materials, highly translucent zirconia materials have been developed. While this material has high aesthetics, there is still room for improvement in strength. In this study, we investigated to strengthen the high translucent zirconia material. In the study, monoclinic zirconia (mZrO₂) nanoparticles were used as a coating agent. The surface of the highly transparent zirconia was coated with mZrO₂ nanoparticle dispersion by dipping and sintered. Thereby, the high translucent zirconia could obtain about 1.3 times higher strength than the untreated one. The post-coating method introduced in this study would be effective as a simple and economical method for improving highly translucent zirconia strength.