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Published on: December 20, 2024
Monolithic lithium-disilicate single crowns supported by zirconia oral implants: three-year results of a prospective
Benedikt Christopher Spies1, Sebastian Berthold Maximilian Patzelt1, Kirstin Vach2
1Center for Dental Medicine, Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Objective:
To determine the survival and success rate of CAD/CAM-fabricated monolithic lithium-disilicate crowns supported by zirconia oral implants after 3 years.
Material And Methods:
Twenty-four patients in need of a single tooth replacement received a zirconia implant and were finally restored with 24 single crowns (SCs) ground out of pre-crystallized lithium-disilicate blanks. The restorations were adhesively cemented and evaluated using modified United States Public Health Service (USPHS) criteria. In case of clinically relevant defects that could be repaired to an acceptable level, SCs were regarded as surviving. Restorations with minor chippings, a small-area roughness (ø <2 mm), slightly soundable marginal gaps, minimal under-/overcontours, and tolerable color deviations (<1 Vitashade) were regarded as success. The Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank tests were used for the success/survival analyses and the calculation of potential group differences (gender, location, jaw). Additionally, several patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) were evaluated.
Results:
Twenty-three patients were seen 3 years after implant placement. No SC had to be replaced, resulting in 100% survival. No chippings were observed. As one SC showed a major occlusal roughness, the Kaplan-Meier success rate after a mean observation period of 31 months was 95.7%. No group differences could be calculated. Compared with the pre-treatment surveys, the further PROMs showed a permanently improved perception of function, esthetics, sense, and speech.
Conclusion:
Monolithic lithium-disilicate SCs supported by zirconia implants showed promising survival and success rates after an observation period of 3 years. It remains to be seen whether the further observation period confirms this positive results.
