Effect of Tuf‐Coat on Feldspathic porcelain materials

Abstract

summary Ion exchange has been shown to increase the fracture strength of not only industrial glasses but also dental porcelains. Tuf‐Coat, an ion exchange material, has been introduced as a simple method to strengthen dental porcelain restorations. Our experimental investigation aims to evaluate the effect of the ion exchange (Tuf‐Coat) on the flexural strengths of specimens made with Vita VMK 68, Ceramco veneer, IPS and Matchmaker body porcelain. Eighty specimens were fabricated as discs 13 mm in diameter and 2 mm thick according to manufacturers’ recommendations. Specimens were tested using a universal testing machine with a crosshead speed of 0·5 mm/min. by a method of biaxial flexural strength test. The results were evaluated using one‐way variance analysis and ‘Student's t ’ test to compare results at P < 0·05 level. Among the porcelains tested only Vita VMK 68 has been statistically affected by the ion exchange method Tuf‐Coat.