Fiber filled dental porcelain

摘要

Improved dental porcelain compositions and resultant fused porcelain dental restorations are provided which exhibit enhanced strength properties as compared with conventional porcelains. The fiber-filled porcelain compositions of the invention are supplemented with zirconium oxide ceramic fibers in relatively minor amounts of less than 5% by weight. The reinforcing fibers are advantageously predominantly zirconium oxide, and have a relatively short average length of from about 1/32 to 1/4 of an inch. These fibers are normally randomly oriented and homogeneously dispersed throughout the fiber-filled porcelain composition, in order to give a reinforcing fiber network. A completed restoration in accordance with the invention would typically include a core portion formed of the fiber filled porcelain, with the outer portion of the restoration being fabricated from conventional non-fiber reinforced porcelain.