Metal-ceramic bond strength.

No currently available bond test for dental metal ceramic systems has yet gained general acceptance. Such a bond test cannot be established without careful analysis of the stress distribution within the adherence region. The objective of the present study was to establish a mechanical shear stress test and combine the results with a finite element stress analysis of an idealized crown to enable comparisons of different metal-ceramic systems. The titanium-ceramic systems tested, both machined and cast titanium, showed higher shear strength values than the high gold-ceramic system used as a reference. Since the latter system has been used successfully in the clinic for many years, it seems reasonable to assume that the bond strength of titanium-ceramic systems is quite satisfactory for dental crown-and-bridge work. In conclusion, the interfacial bond strength test proposed in the present study should be applicable to all of the currently known material combinations in which a brittle fracture might be expected to occur.