Dental Ceramics — NDEB AFK MCQ

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ModerateDental MaterialsDental CeramicsNDEB AFK

Which type of dental ceramic has the highest flexural strength and is used for monolithic full-contour restorations and implant abutments?

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Correct answer: C — Yttria-stabilised tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (Y-TZP)

Yttria-stabilised tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (Y-TZP, zirconia) has the highest flexural strength (900-1200 MPa) and fracture toughness of all dental ceramics due to its transformation toughening mechanism. It is used for monolithic crowns, multi-unit FPD frameworks, implant abutments, and custom implant frameworks. Its high opacity was an early aesthetic limitation, but newer translucent zirconia formulations (4Y-PSZ, 5Y-PSZ) have improved aesthetics at the cost of some strength.

Reference: Anusavice – Phillips' Science of Dental Materials, 13th ed., 2022