Papers by Author: Ning Wen

Abstract: The need for bone repair has increased as the population ages. However, currently, the bone grafts still have some disadvantages, such as low compressive strength and porosity, which limit their use. In order to solve these disadvantages, in this study, the porous beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) anorganic bone graft were prepared from healthy bovine cancellous bone by cell-free, defat and twice calcinations. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to investigate the chemical composition of the bone graft. And the morphology, porosity and mechanical strength of the bone graft were also evaluated. The results showed that most constituent of the bone graft was β-TCP. In addition, the bone graft scaffold exhibited the macro and micro porous structure and the porosity was 57.63%, just as the nature cancellous bone. The compressive strength was 4.47±0.63MPa. Above all, the porous β-TCP anorganic bone graft not only has similar chemical composites as the nature cancellous bone, but also it can effectively retain the porous structure of natural cancellous bone and provides optimal channels for the ingrowth of new bone and blood vessels.Therefore, the porous β-TCP anorganic bone graft is a potential biomaterial in bone tissue engineering.

Abstract: The aim of this invitro study was to evaluate the fracture resistance of endodontically treated canines restored with one-piece milled zirconia post and core in the varying ferrule modes. Fifty recently extracted human maxillary canines were endodontically treated and randomly divided into 5 groups of 10 specimens each. According to the defect degree of ferrule, intact ferrule was classified as group A and served as control, 2 mm ferrule height without buccal ferrule was classified as group B, 2 mm ferrule height without mesial and buccal ferrule was classified as group C, 2 mm ferrule height without mesial, buccal and lingual ferrule was classified as group D, no ferrule preparation was classified as group E. All of the teeth were restored with one-piece milled zirconia post and core, and zirconia crowns. The teeth were prepared to standardized specifications. The restored teeth were loaded to fracture at a 135° angle to their long axis, at a cross-head speed 0.5 mm/min, and the load (N) at failure was recorded. Statistical analysis was performed by SNK pairwise multiple comparisons (α=0.05). The mean fracture resistance of five groups as follows: 1019.30±139.01N for group A, 861.20±105.67N for group B, 833.70±100.56N for group C, 733.20±96.91N for group D, 698.00±99.90N for group E. The fracture resistance of restored teeth between group B and group C, group D and group E had no statistically significant difference(P>0.05). The fracture resistance of the rest pairwise group comparisons had statistically significant difference(P<0.05). Increasing the absence degree of ferrule, it was found that the fracture resistance decrease. The buccal and lingual ferrule were more important than mesial ferrule for enhanced fracture resistance. This in vitro study supports evidence that reserving the buccal and lingual ferrule is a key point to increase the fracture resistance of canines restored with one-piece milled zirconia post and core.

Abstract: To evaluate bond strength of veneering ceramics to a graded zirconia core. Two zirconia core ceramics (Y-TZP and graded zirconia) were fabricated and veneered with IPS e.max Ceram. A metal ceramic system (IPS d.SIGN, Ivoclar Vivadent, Liechtenstein) was used as a control group for the two all-ceramic test groups (n=20). Shear bond strength test and microtensile bond strength test were conducted by a universal testing machine. Fracture surfaces were also evaluated to determine the failure modes. Additionally, one-way ANOVA and Tukey's HSD tests were used to analyze the data. The shear bond strength test and microtensile bond strength test showed the familiar results. Graded zirconia exhibited the highest bond strength value (SBS: 31.01±2.01 MPa, MTBS: 40.95±1.95 MPa), significantly higher than that of Y-TZP (SBS: 28.14±2.28 MPa, 37.99±2.83 MPa). No significant differences were found between the metal core group and the two zirconia core groups. All test groups demonstrated cohesive failure within the veneer, as well as adhesive failure between the core and the veneer. Glass infiltration to zirconia may affect bond strength between zirconia core and veneering ceramics. A graded zirconia glass structure exhibits a benign bond to a veneering ceramics which could be similar to that of a metal ceramic system.

Abstract: Our aim was to analyze the color ranges of two kinds of Vita shade guides and compare these color ranges with that of Chinese teeth. To do this, the color range and ordering of the Vita Classical and Vita 3D-Master shade guides were measured and analyzed with a MINOLTA CM-2600d spectrophotometer under a D65 standard source. The CIE-1976-L* a* b* system was adopted. We found that compared with the Vita Classical shade guide, Vita 3D Master covers a greater range of a*, and b*, which includes more yellow -reddish and more saturated color tabs. The range of L* extends further towards darker values, while in higher range the two guides are the same. Comparing these color ranges with that of Chinese teeth, the Vita 3D-Master is preferred to the Vita Classical Guide. Because of the larger range of teeth-colors covered, and the logical arrangement, we recommend the clinical use of the Vita 3D-Master shade guide.

Abstract: Aim To explore pigmented glass for infiltration and investigate its physical and mechanical properties. Methods The pigmented glass was prepared by melting glass components in an alumina crucible at 1400°C for 2h. The thermal properties were tested using a Setaram-TGDTA 92 analyzer; three point bending strength and fracture toughness were also tested; the microstructure of the glass was studied using a scanning electron microscope. Results The thermal expansion coefficient over the range 20–600 °C was 6.2 × 10-6 °C -1, Tg was about 690 °C, the density, bending strength, fracture toughness and Vickers hardness were 2.23 g/cm3, 118 MPa, 1.22 MPam1/2, and 7.4 GPa respectively. Conclusion The pigments have no detrimental effects on the physical and mechanical properties; thus the pigmented glass for infiltration has favorable physical and mechanical properties and also good compatibility with presintered porous alumina.

Abstract: Bone tissue engineering provides a new way to repair the bone defect in orthopaedics. The scaffolds, porous materials with excellent biocompatibility, bioactivity and biodegradability, play an important role in bone tissue engineering. Furthermore, the bioactivity of the pore interior surfaces is very important for cell attachment, differentiation and growth, as well as new bone tissue ingrowth into pores. In this paper, β-TCP was selected as materials of scaffolds, and its bioactivity was improved by activating the interior surfaces of pore walls. The porous β-TCP scaffolds with about 50~300μm of pore size and above 80% of porosity were obtained by 3D-gel-laminated processing. Their surfaces of the scaffolds were easily covered by a low crystallized bone-like apatite layer, which determined by XRD and FTIR, after immersing in 1.5SBF solution following pre-treatment by NaOH solution. MTT and ALP assays were performed after cells cultured on the porous scaffolds with bone-like structure, and the results showed higher proliferation rate and differentiation level than that on the scaffolds without treatment, which indicated that the porous β-TCP scaffolds with bone-like apatite layer on surfaces of pore walls possess higher bioactivity. Therefore, the bioactivity of tissue engineering scaffolds could be improved by deposited bone-like apatite layer on their surfaces.

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to study effects of the mechanical properties of veneering porcelain on stress distribution of dental zirconia layered structure by three-dimensional finite element analysis. A 3-D geometric model of the first maxillary molar was established, a tooth preparation was simulated by the Imageware software. A crown was designed and divided into three layers: core, middle layer and outer veneer layer. The elasticity modulus of the middle layer was 70GPa for the control model up to 175GPa for the tested models. Loads of 200N were applied over a 1 mm diameter area beneath the tip of the mesial-distal cusp, simulating typical occlusal contact areas, the stress distribution of the crown systems were analyzed. Results show that within the geometry of the crown configuration, one concentration district of maximum principal stress occurred on the occlusal surface closely proximal to the loading position, several sub-maximum principal stress area were observed, such as margin regions of the mesial face, lingual face, distal faces, buccal face and occlusal fossa. Middle layer with higher modulus can effectively disperse the stress concentration in the layered zirconia all-ceramic crown system.

Abstract: Low temperature aging (LTD) is an important factor of Y-TZP ceramic as artificial joint femoral head and dental restorative materials in vivo for long-term application. In this paper, the accelerated aging experiments on Y-TZP ceramics were conducted. The t-m phase transition is occurring from the surface to the inside during low temperature aging of Y-TZP ceramics. As content of phase transformation increases, thickness of phase transformation layer increases. While the content of surface monoclinic phase is less, the volume expansion and surface stress caused by phase transformation can make cracks and holes shrink or even close, then the flexural strength increase. As a large number of surface monoclinic phase was generated, due to there are a lot of microscopic defects in the phase transition layer, crystals loose, strength of grain boundary lower than that of not aging area and phase transformation layers fracture in the intergranular mode, that damages the flexural strength. Therefore, the flexural strength increase firstly and then decrease with the increase of surface monoclinic content.

Abstract: The matching properties of ceramics and veneering porcelain play an important role for the overall color and mechanical properties of dental crowns. The Vita VM9 veneering porcelain was coated on the surfaces of two zirconia, three-point flexural strength, heat shock resistance and the overall color after veneered with porcelain were tested. The results showed that the interlayer cracks, radial cracks or porcelain body cracks were not appeared in all samples during thermal shock experiments at 60~220°C. Their flexural strength was all above 700MPa and the overall color covered the common color of VITA-3D Master shade guide. There is good thermal compatibility between the two dental shaded zirconia ceramics and Vita VM9 veneering porcelain. The mechanical properties are suitable for clinical posterior teeth area restorative, and the overall color is also suitable for the requirements on the color and brightness of clinical dental restoration.

Abstract: To evaluate the masking ability of IPS e.max all-ceramics system of HO series. IPS e.max Press HO ingots were fabricated into twenty cylindrical specimens (n=5) with the diameter of 13mm and four different thinknesses (0.4mm, 0.6mm, 0.8mm, 1.0mm). All specimens after veneered, gazed and cemented to metal substrate disks (thickness 3mm, diameter 13mm) were measured on both the white background and metal substrate disks background using a spectrophotometer and values of L, a and b were calculated to compare color differences among four groups. Meanwhile ΔE with the preselected required color (A2 color) were calculated. ΔE<1.5 was considered a clinically acceptable color match. In the 0.4mm thickness specimens group, the values of L, a and b significantly increased (-1.36±0.05, -0.15±0.06, -1.46±0.02, respectively) between the white background and abutment background. But there were no significant color differences in the other three groups (P<0.05). In the 0.6mm and 0.8mm thicknesses specimens groups, the color difference values (0.71±0.04, 1.14±0.06, respectively) with A2 color were less than the defined value. Thus the cylindrical specimens with the thickness of 0.6mm, 0.8mm and 1.0mm could mask the metal substrate disks background sufficiently and the thickness of 0.6mm and 0.8mm had an acceptable color match compared with the target color. IPS e.max all-ceramics system of HO series can produce clinically acceptable color match and have the capacity to mask a dark background such as a dark tooth or core buildup material.