Disclosed is a ceramic sintered shaped body containing Y2O3-stabilized zirconia with a sintered density of at least 99% of the theoretical sintered density and having a mean grain size of <;180 nm. The zirconia fraction of the sintered shaped body comprises tetragonal and cubic phases. Also disclosed is a process for the production of a ceramic sintered shaped body containing Y2O3-stabilized zirconia, which process comprises dispersion of a submicron powder and comminution of the dispersed submicron powder by means of grinding media having a diameter of less than or equal to 100 μm to a particle size d95 of <;0.42 μm; shaping of the dispersion to form a body, and sintering of the body to form the sintered shaped body.