OBJECTIVES: To determine whether the surface treatment of translucent zirconia prior to glazing affects wear and flexural strength. METHODS: Translucent zirconia disks were either left as-sintered, polished, or sandblasted. Half of the specimens within these three groups were glazed. Human enamel and dentin substrates were prepared as control. The wear volume and depth, as well as surface roughness parameters, were obtained after chewing simulation (n = 8 per group). Biaxial flexural strength of zirconia specimens was measured and fractures were analyzed. Statistics was performed with multifactorial ANOVAs (α = 0.05). RESULTS: The overall wear volume was significantly higher on glazed surfaces (0.020 ± 0.007 mm SIGNIFICANCE: Lowest wear and highest flexural strength of a translucent zirconia restoration can be expected when the surface is polished. When applying glaze, the prior surface treatment does not affect wear. Applied to clinical situations, perfect surface polishing after occlusion adjustments is recommended to prevent increased wear of the antagonist.