Fracture resistance of bonded CAD/CAM restorations with standard or extended preparations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the fracture resistance of teeth with standard or extended mesio-occlusodistal (MOD) preparations after restoration with bonded computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) materials. Standard or extended MOD cavities were prepared in 60 of 70 extracted, caries-free third molars. In the standard MOD preparations (n = 30), 4.5- mm buccal and lingual/palatal wall thickness remained, and proximal boxes extended 1.0 mm coronal to the cementoenamel junction. In the extended MOD preparations (n = 30), the buccal and lingual/palatal walls were reduced to a thickness of 3.0 mm. A CAD/CAM acquisition unit was used to scan 20 standard and 20 extended preparations. Subsequently, 10 standard and 10 extended preparations were restored with milled lithium disilicate, and 10 of each type were restored with resin nanoceramic. Ten of each preparation type were left unrestored (negative control). An additional 10 third molars were neither prepared nor restored (positive control). After thermocycling and cyclic loading, specimens were fractured in a material testing device. Although bonded CAD/CAM restorations reinforced the tooth structure, the mean fracture loads were significantly lower (P < 0.05) in teeth with restored extended preparations (2642.4 [SD 479.4] N) than in teeth with restored standard preparations (3376.6 [SD 817.9] N). The type of CAD/CAM restorative material did not significantly affect the fracture load. Practitioners should consider covering the cusps with a CAD/CAM restorative material to reduce the potential for fracture in preparations with reduced cuspal thickness, especially in patients with heavier occlusion or functional loads.