Zirconia ceramics (ZrO2) show much higher strength and tenacity than other ceramics,and they are being studied as materials for dental implants.
In the present study,compounds of ZrO2 and HAP were prepared,and their mechanical strength and biocompatibility were investigated.
HAP was added to ZrO2 in proportions of 30, 50, 70, 80, and 90 Wt.% and the mixture was sintered at 1,500℃.These five compounds were used in the experiments. HAP sintered at 1,200℃ was used as the control.
In these experiments,the hardness was measured by the Vicker's hardness method and the tissue reaction was observed by embedding the material in the femur of dogs.
The Vicker's hardness decreased while more HAP was added. However, the difference in hardness between the compound containing 30 Wt.% HAP (560 HV) and that containing 50 Wt.% HAP (529 HV) was less than in other cases.
The full circumference of compounds containing 50 Wt.% HAP or more was completely covered by mature bone.
These results indicated that material containing 50 Wt.% HAP is useful for dental implants.
