Effects of sandblasting and silicoating on bond strength between titanium and porcelain

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the different sized alumina particles (50 and 150 µm) and tribochemical silica‑modified alumina particles (110 µm) on titanium (Ti) surface to identify the most effective method of increasing the bond strength between porcelain and Ti.Materials and Methods: Thirty rectangular plates (15 mm × 50 mm × 1 mm) of commercially pure Ti (Cp Ti) Grade 5 (GC Dental Industrial Corporation, Tokyo, Japan) were divided into three groups for different surface modification procedures (n = 10). Ti bonder porcelain, opaque, and dentin layers were fired separately on Ti plates. All specimens were placed in a bending jig for four‑point bending test. The load and crosshead displacement data were collected to calculate the strain energy release rate as a G value.Results: Lowest mean G values in J/m2 were in the group sandblasted with 150 µm Al2O3 particles (Group 2) (18.6 ± 5), followed by the group sandblasted with 50 µm Al2O3 particles (Group 3) (20.8 ± 6.1) and the group sandblasted with 110 µm silicoated Al2O3 particles (Group 1) (24.5 ± 4.1). The one‑way ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc tests indicated that there was a statistically significant difference between Group 1 and Group 2 (P < 0.05). There were also no statistically significant differences between Group 1 and Group 3 and Group 2 and Group 3 (P > 0.05).Conclusion: The size of alumina particles is not a factor that is directly effective in enhancing the bond strength of Ti–porcelain systems. The bond strength of Ti–porcelain systems can be extremely improved by the application of sandblasting with silica‑coated alumina particles.Keywords: Bond strength, dental porcelain, surface treatment, titaniu