• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.144-150
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• 2017

Purpose: The aim of this in vitro study is to investigate load bearing capacity of esthetic abutments according to the type of material and wall thickness. Materials and methods: 70 specimens equally divided into seven groups according to their abutment wall thicknesses. The abutments prepared with titanium 0.5 mm wall thickness were used as a control group (Ti-0.5), whereas zirconia abutments and resin nano ceramic abutments with wall thickness 0.5 mm, 0.8 mm and 1.0 mm were prepared as test groups (Zir-0.5, Zir-0.8, Zir-1.0 and RNC-0.5, RNC-0.8, RNC-1.0). All specimens were tested in a universal testing machine to evaluate their resistance to fracture and all of them underwent thermo-cycling before loading test. Mean fracture values of the groups were measured and statistical analyses were made using two-way ANOVA. Results: Zir-1.0 showed the highest mean strength ($2,476.3{\pm}342.0N$) and Zir-0.8 ($1,518{\pm}347.9N$), Ti-0.5 ($1,041.8{\pm}237.2N$), Zir-0.5 ($631.4{\pm}149.0N$) were followed. The strengths of RNC groups were significantly lower compared to other two materials (RNC-1.0 $427.5{\pm}72.1$, RNC-0.8 $297.9{\pm}41.2$) and the strengths of all the test groups decreased as the thickness decreases (P < .01). RNC-0.5 ($127.4{\pm}35.3N$) abutments were weaker than all other groups (P < .05). Conclusion: All tested zirconia abutments have the potential to withstand the physiologic occlusal forces in anterior and posterior regions. In resin nano ceramic abutments, wall thickness more than 0.8 mm showed the possibility of withstanding the occlusal forces in anterior region.