On the bulk degradation of yttria-stabilized nanocrystalline zirconia dental implant abutments: an electron backscatter diffraction study

Degradation of yttria-stabilized zirconia dental implants abutments due to the tetragonal to monoclinic phase transformation was studied in detail by microstructural characterization using Electron Back Scatter Diffraction (EBSD). The amount and distribution of the monoclinic phase, the grain-size distribution and crystallographic orientations between tetragonal and monoclinic crystals in 3 mol.% yttria-stabilized polycrystalline zirconia (3Y-TZP) were determined in two different types of nanocrystalline dental abutments, even for grains smaller than 400 nm. An important and novel conclusion is that no substantial bulk degradation of 3Y-TZP dental implant abutments was detected after 1 year of clinical use.