Wear Behavior of Different Generations of Zirconia: Present Literature

OBJECTIVE: The wear behavior of the novel zirconia generation is less well understood and may be affected by compositional modifications compared to the conventional zirconia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Combinations of keywords such as “zirconia,” “high translucent,” and “wear” were searched in PubMed and Google Scholar databases up to May 2021. The total of 23 relevant articles was selected according to inclusion criteria. RESULTS: Reports show comparable wear resistance of translucent zirconia to the conventional zirconia despite an increased cubic phase content and lower mean flexural strength. A meticulously polished surface creates the lowest surface roughness, producing favorable zirconia wear resistance and antagonist wear compared to a glazed surface. In comparison to other ceramic materials, zirconia produces the least wear on an enamel antagonist and almost undetectable wear when opposed by zirconia. Wear when paired against resin materials yields a favorable outcome, whereas wear behavior against a metal antagonist varies with the surface hardness of the metal. CONCLUSIONS: All zirconia generations are considered wear-friendly to all types of antagonists. Nonetheless, comparative studies on antagonist wear opposing zirconia of different compositions are still limited and further investigation is required.