Artificial Ageing Methodologies for Zirconia-Based Restorations in Fixed Prosthodontics: A Narrative Review and Proposal of the MIAZE Reporting Framework

Zirconia-based ceramics are widely used in fixed prosthodontic restorations owing to their favorable mechanical properties and evolving aesthetic characteristics. However, predicting long-term performance remains challenging because artificial ageing methodologies are highly heterogeneous and existing standards do not fully reflect the diversity of modern zirconia systems, including high-translucency and multilayer materials; variations in experimental conditions, specimen designs, measurement approaches, and reporting practices limit inter-study comparison and quantitative evidence synthesis. This review examines current artificial ageing methodologies for zirconia-based restorations and identifies a fundamental limitation beyond the absence of a universal ageing protocol: the lack of a standardized framework for preserving and exchanging experimental information. To address this, the Minimum Information About a Zirconia Experiment (MIAZE) reporting framework is proposed as a model-neutral, machine-readable structure for documenting experimental observations and associated metadata. MIAZE is a minimal reporting standard that does not require identical experimental protocols, instrumentation, or analytical approaches, but defines the essential information needed to preserve scientific interpretability and enable future dataset reuse. By separating data documentation from subsequent interpretation, MIAZE provides a foundation for reproducibility, independent verification, quantitative meta-analysis, and the application of diverse analytical approaches, shifting the focus from a single universal ageing protocol toward interoperable experimental datasets capable of supporting evolving zirconia materials, methodologies, and computational tools.