Deposition of crystalline hydroxyapatite nano-particle on zirconia ceramic: a potential solution for the poor bonding characteristic of zirconia ceramics to resin cement.

The poor bonding strength of zirconia to different dental substrates is one of the challenging issues in restorative dentistry. Hydroxyapatite is an excellent biocompatible material with fine bonding properties. In this study, it was hypothesized that hydroxyapatite coating on zirconia would improve its bond strength. Forty-five zirconia blocks were prepared and randomly divided into three groups: hydroxyapatite coating, sandblasting, and no preparation (control). The blocks were bonded to cement and the micro-shear bond strength was measured following load application. The bond strength values were analyzed with the Kruskal-Wallis test in 3 groups and paired comparisons were made using the Mann-Whitney U test. The failure patterns of the specimens were studied by a stereomicroscope and a scanning electron microscope and then analyzed by the chi-square test (significance level = 0.05). Deposition of hydroxyapatite on the zirconia surface significantly improved its bond strength to the resin cement in comparison with the control specimens (p < 0.0001). Also, the bond strength was similar to the sandblasted group (p = 0.34). The sandblasted and control group only showed adhesive failure, but the hydroxyapatite coated group had mixed failures, indicating the better quality of bonding (p < 0.0001). As a final point, hydroxyapatite coating on the zirconia surface improved the bond strength quality and values.