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Published on: December 20, 2024
Precision of fit of two margin designs for metal-ceramic crowns
Penwadee Limkangwalmongkol1, Gerard J Chiche, Markus B Blatz
1Department of Endodontics, Prosthodontics, and Operative Dentistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA. Penwadee@umaryland.edu
Statement Of Problem:
Although metal-ceramic restorations are widely used, there is a lack of information about how the fit is affected by margin designs.
Purpose:
This study measured and compared the precision of fit of metal-ceramic crowns with two margin designs.
Material And Methods:
Thirty-two extracted human premolar teeth were prepared for complete-coverage restorations with an internally rounded shoulder preparation. Impressions were made from all teeth, and master dies were poured with improved stone type V. MC crowns were fabricated with a porcelain-butt margin on the buccal aspect (n = 32) and a feather-edge metal margin on the lingual aspect (n = 32), which served as a control group. Precision of fit was measured three times at the mid-buccal and mid-lingual margins of each crown with a profilometer. The data were statistically analyzed with the paired t-test (alpha < .05).
Results:
Mean marginal gap size of porcelain-butt margins was 27.93 microm (+/-15.84) and of feather-edge metal margins 42.43 microm (+/-24.12). The marginal gap size of feather-edge metal margins was statistically significantly greater than that of porcelain-butt margins (p = 0.0045).
Conclusion:
The marginal fit of porcelain-butt margins was significantly better than that of feather-edge metal margins.
Clinical Implications:
Porcelain-butt margins in this study had a better marginal fit than feather-edge metal margins, and thus have given clinicians evidence to prefer the use of porcelain-butt margins.
