Synthesis of nano zirconium oxide and its application in dentistry

Zirconium oxide (ZrO2) is the general material in dental area, with natural color, high toughness and strength. Recent years, small blocks of ZrO2 such as micro/nano powders have been studied and developed widely. Nano scale ZrO2, which shows improved mechanical characteristics and superior biocompatibility, are usually incorporated into different applications used in dentistry and tissue engineering. This review provides an overview of nano-ZrO2 materials and its applications in dentistry. The synthesis of nano-ZrO2 powders were mainly prepared by coprecipitation, hydrothermal method and sol-gel method. Then different applications of nano-ZrO2 biomaterials in dental ceramics, implants, radio pacifying agents, basement and tissue engineering fields were briefly introduced.