Purpose: To investigate the impact of high-speed sintering and artificial aging on the fracture load of three-unit zirconia fixed dental prostheses (FDPs).
Materials and Methods: Three-unit FDPs manufactured from 3Y-TZP (Ceramill Zolid, Amann Girrbach) and 4Y-TZP (Ceramill Zolid HT+, Amann Girrbach; N = 128, n = 64/group) were sintered at 1,580°C (high-speed sintering) or at 1,450°C (control group; n = 32/subgroup). Specimens were bonded to steel abutment models using Multilink Automix (Ivoclar Vivadent), and fracture load was examined without (n = 16/subgroup) and with artificial aging (6,000 thermocycles [5°C/55°C] and 1,200,000 chewing cycles [50 N]; n = 16/subgroup). Univariate analysis of variance, unpaired t test, and Weibull modulus were computed (P < .05).
Results: Sintering protocol (P = .944), artificial aging (P = .630), and zirconia material (P = .445) did not show an influence on the fracture load of three-unit FDPs. High-speed sintering led to superior Weibull modulus results for artificially aged 4Y-TZP specimens, while all other groups showed values in the same range.
Conclusion: The present study shows promising results for the novel highspeed sintering protocol, as it led to comparable fracture load and similar, or even superior, Weibull modulus results compared to the control group. The 4Y-TZP material presented fracture load results similar to the tried-and-tested 3Y-TZP. Artificial aging did not influence zirconia’s resistance to fracture for either 3Y-TZP or 4Y-TZP.