Wear And Aging Of Peek, Zirconia, And Co-Cr Crowns

To compare the wear resistance, fracture resistance before and after aging, and displacement resistance of full crowns made from PEEK, cobalt-chromium alloy, and zirconia, providing a theoretical basis for PEEK’s application in crown fabrication. Full crowns (n=25 per material) were fabricated after maxillary first premolar preparation. They were divided into three groups: Group A (n=15, five per material) underwent 120,000 chewing cycles under simulated oral conditions, and wear was assessed using a stereomicroscope and Micro-image Analysis & Process system. Group B (n=30, ten per material) underwent 10,000 thermocycling aging cycles, while Group C (n=30, control) was used to compare fracture and displacement resistance via a universal testing machine. ① Chewing simulation: Wear resistance ranked as PEEK > zirconia > cobalt-chromium alloy (P < 0.05), while antagonist wear ranked as cobalt-chromium alloy > zirconia > PEEK (P < 0.05). ② Aging test: Fracture resistance before and after aging was cobalt-chromium alloy > zirconia > PEEK (P < 0.05), while displacement resistance ranked zirconia > cobalt-chromium alloy > PEEK (P < 0.05). Aging resistance followed PEEK > zirconia > cobalt-chromium alloy (P < 0.05). PEEK exhibited clinical-standard wear, fracture, and displacement resistance, excellent aging resistance, and superior antagonist protection, making it a promising material for full crown fabrication.