Marginal adaptation and microleakage of Procera AllCeram crowns with four cements

This study investigated the effect of different cements on microleakage and marginal adaptation of porcelain crowns.

Eighty extracted molars were divided into two groups. Teeth in one group were prepared to receive Procera AllCeram crowns, whereas the other group was prepared to receive metal-ceramic crowns. Copings were made following standard techniques, and groups were divided for cementation with zinc phosphate, glass-ionomer, resin-modified glassionomer, or resin cement. Specimens were subjected to thermocycling prior to microleakage testing, then sectioned. Microleakage was scored using a five-point scale; marginal adaptation was assessed with a traveling microscope.

A significant association was found between cement type and degree of microleakage. With zinc phosphate, 76% of Procera AllCeram and 90% of metal-ceramic copings exhibited extensive microleakage. With glass-ionomer, 49% of Procera AllCeram and 66% of metal-ceramic copings had 0 microleakage scores; with resin-modified glass-ionomer, 10% of Procera AllCeram and 84% of metal-ceramic copings had 0 microleakage scores. With resin cement, 34% of Procera AllCeram and 96% of metal-ceramic copings exhibited 0 microleakage. Procera AllCeram copings had a significantly larger mean marginal gap (54 microm) compared to metal ceramic (29 microm).

In both types of crowns, the use of resin cement resulted in the highest percentage of 0 microleakage scores, whereas the zinc phosphate cement resulted in the highest percentage of extensive microleakage.