Correlation between microhardness and wear resistance of dental alloys against monolithic zirconia

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to compare the hardness according to the conditions of metal alloys. Moreover, the correlation between the cast crown hardness before and after wear testing and the degree of wear for each dental alloy was assessed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cast crowns of three metal alloys (Co-Cr, gold, and Ni-Cr alloys) opposing smooth-surface monolithic zirconia were used. The Vickers microhardness of the ingot (which did not undergo wear testing) and the cast crown before and after wear testing were measured for each alloy. Two-way ANOVA and Scheffé tests were used to compare the measured hardness values. Moreover, the Pearson correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the relationship between the surface hardness and the wear of the cast crown (α=.05). RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the hardness before and after wear testing for the gold alloy (P>.05); however, the hardness of the worn surface of the cast crown increased compared to that of the cast crown before the wear tests of Ni-Cr and Co-Cr alloys (P<.05). Furthermore, there was no correlation between the wear and hardness of the cast crown before and after wear testing for all three metal alloys (P>.05). CONCLUSION: There was a significant difference in hardness between dental alloys under the same conditions. No correlation existed between the surface hardness of the cast crown before and after wear testing and the wear of the cast crown.