Probability of failure of veneered glass fiber-reinforced composites and glass-infiltrated alumina with or without zirconia reinforcement

PURPOSE: The probability of failure under flexural load of veneered specimens of a unidirectional glass fiber-reinforced composite (FibreKor/Sculpture), a bidirectional glass fiber-reinforced composite (Vectris/Targis), a glass-infiltrated alumina (In-Ceram Alumina/Vita alpha), and a zirconia-reinforced glass-infiltrated alumina (In-Ceram Zirconia/Vita alpha) was investigated; a metal-ceramic (PG200/Vita omega) system served as a control. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten uniform beams of the veneered core materials were fabricated for each system and subjected to a three-point bending test. The data were analyzed using the Weibull method. The failure load of specimens at a 10% probability of failure (B10 load) was compared. The mode of failure was analyzed. RESULTS: The B10 load of the systems investigated was not significantly different from that of the metal-ceramic system. FibreKor possessed significantly higher B10 load than Vectris, In-Ceram Alumina, and In-Ceram Zirconia. The B10 strength loads of Vectris, In-Ceram Alumina, and In-Ceram Zirconia were not significantly different from one another. CONCLUSION: The probability of FibreKor to fracture under a flexural load was significantly lower than that of Vectris, In-Ceram Alumina, or In-Ceram Zirconia.