Clinical Evaluation of All Ceramic Zirconia Framework Resin Bonded Bridges

To evaluate the clinical longevity of 58 adhesively bonded single unit yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystalline (Y-TZP) ceramic Resin Bonded Bridges (RBB).

Twenty six consecutive patients with at least one congenitally missing tooth in the maxilla or mandible were provided with 58 single unit Y-TZP RBBs. The cantilever RBBs were designed and milled using a CAD-CAM system to produce frameworks which were veneered using a glass-ceramic material and cemented with a self-etching dual-cure resin cement.

Following a mean follow up period of 36.2 months (maximum 62.3 months, minimum 25.4 months), 48 restorations remain in service with a survival rate of 82.7%. One anterior retainer fracture was encountered and no fractures of the posterior framework or ceramic were noted within the time frame reported.

All ceramic Y-TZP RBBs replacing maxillary and mandibular teeth in the anterior and posterior areas demonstrated an 82.7% Kaplan Meier survival rate over 3 years, which was comparable to previously published survival rates for the non-perforated metal framework RBBs.

Replacement of anterior or posterior teeth using single unit cantilevered RBBs using Y-TZP ceramics should be considered a viable restorative option with a high survival rate.