The Effect of Sandblast and Plasma Surface Treatment of Titanium Abutment on Tensile Bond Strength with Ultra-translucent Zirconia Crown: A Comparative Study

Aim: Assess the tensile bond strength of the zirconia crown that has been surface treated with sandblast and plasma on a titanium implant abutment both before and after the surface treatment. Materials and methods: Forty samples of implant analog and prefabricated titanium implant abutment of Dentium system with diameter (3.5mm) and height (5.5mm) were embedded vertically in auto-polymerizing acrylic resin blocks, were divided into five groups according to type of crown and abutment surface treatment (10 samples for each group) : Group I titanium abutments and zirconia crowns without any surface treatment, Group II sandblast treated abutments, Group III plasma surface treatment for both titanium abutments, Group IV combine sandblast and plasma treated titanium abutments. Forty zirconia crowns fabricated with CAD/CAM system and all crowns cemented to titanium abutment with Allcem resin cement dual cure, then stored in (5000) cycles of thermocycling between (5c-55c) degree, after that all samples evaluated it is tensile bond strength with universal testing machine. An analysis of variance (ANOVA test), Duncan's multiple range test and t-test at (p-value < 0.01) were used for a statistical analysis for data obtain from universal testing machine. Results: Group IV (combined sandblast and plasma treatment for titanium abutments) had the highest tensile strength value, followed by Group II (sandblast treated abutment) and Group III (plasma surface treatment for abutments). Tensile bond strength increased following sandblast and plasma surface treatment. The control group's tensile strength was lower. Conclusion: Sandblast and plasma surface treatment had significant effect on retentive force between titanium abutment and zirconia crown, sandblast was the higher effect on tensile bond strength than plasma. Keywords: Yttria stabilized zirconia, Cold atmospheric plasma, Ear abrasion sandblast, Titanium abutment.