Subsurface damage induced in dental resurfacing of a feldspar porcelain with coarse diamond burs.

The primary cause for early failure of ceramic restorations is surface and subsurface damage induced in adjustment and resurfacing using dental handpieces/burs. This paper reports finite element analysis (FEA) modelling of dental resurfacing to predict the degrees of subsurface damage, in combination with experimental measurement using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The FEA predictions of subsurface damage induced in a feldspar porcelain with coarse diamond burs were in agreement with the SEM experimental measurement. These findings provide dental clinicians a quantitative description of the response of dental resurfacing-induced subsurface damage. The implication of the results for non-destructive evaluation of subsurface damage by FEA modelling will be practically meaningful to clinical dental restorations for high-quality ceramic restorations.