The aim of this study is to characterize the resistance to low temperature degradation (LTD) of the surface of dental-grade zirconia (3Y-TZP) patterned with a Nd:YAG laser (532. nm harmonic and pulse duration of 10. ns) employing an interference setup.Laser patterning decreases the resistance to LTD of 3Y-TZP because of the presence of monoclinic phase and residual stresses, induced by the thermal shock during laser-material interaction. A thermal treatment (1. h at 1200. °C) anneals the affected microstructure and increase the resistance to LTD of laser patterned 3Y-TZP. Transformation delay may be attributed to monoclinic phase reversion, texture in the tetragonal phase and the existence of a net of shallow microcracks on the surface, accommodating autocatalytic transformation.

Peer Reviewed