A comparison of the color stability of conventional and titanium dental porcelain.

Simulation of naturally appearing enamel in fixed prosthodontics is best achieved with porcelain. This study investigated the color stability of two different dental porcelains, Ceramco and Procera, after they were exposed to 900 hours of accelerated aging. Twenty titanium plates provided the substrate to which the Procera porcelain samples in shades A3, A3.5, C3, and D3 were fired, five in each shade. An equal number of metal-ceramic alloy (Olympia) plates were cast to the same dimensions to form the 20 substrates to which Ceramco porcelain was fired. The four shades of porcelain were again added to each of the samples. Commission International de l'Eclairage L a b readings were recorded with a Minolta Chroma Meter II before and after exposure to 900 hours of accelerated aging simulation. After the aging process the color differences between the pretest and posttest condition were calculated. Although statistical comparisons demonstrated a difference in color change (p < or = 0.05) between Ceramco and Procera porcelain in three of the shades tested, critical remarks of color refer to both types having "slight" color change. In terms of color stability, neither porcelain had "noticeable" changes after 900 hours of accelerated aging.