Clinical longevity and trend analysis of 801 ultrathin ceramic veneers: A clinical cohort study

Whether ultrathin ceramic veneers are a suitable treatment alternative to conventional ceramic veneers is unclear.

The purpose of this prospective clinical cohort study was to evaluate the efficacy and longevity of nonpreparation and minimally invasive ceramic veneers and the influence of existing restorations and ceramic type and to define the relationship between the number of veneers placed on different teeth and in different locations, as well as age and sex correlations.

A total of 801 veneers were placed on incisors, canines, and premolars on maxillary and mandibular teeth between January 2011 and August 2019 (ABR number: RNN/92/19/KE). Feldspathic or feldspathic and lithium disilicate veneers were made, etched, silanated, and cemented. The restorations were evaluated 2 weeks after placement and then every 6 months by using the modified United States Public Health Service (USPHS) criteria. The relationship between participant age and number of veneers was analyzed by using the Spearman rank coefficient test and the Mann-Whitney U test. Changes in the number of participants and veneers in subsequent years were analyzed based on the Spearman rank correlation coefficient. The trend between the location of veneers and the sex of the participants was analyzed by using the chi-squared test for trend. Longevity tables and a survival curve for the veneers were prepared based on the Kaplan-Meier method. The relationships between veneer longevity and the type of ceramic used and the presence of restorations were compared by using the Taron-Ware test (α=.05).

The mean longevity of the intact veneers was 8.45 years. Clinical success was 99.7% after 1 year and 97.9% after 4 years; this value remained constant until the end of the study. Most participants were women (n=122; 84.1%), and the mean age was 41 years; median 40 years. The number of veneers placed on mandibular teeth each year increased over the subsequent years.

The longevity of ultrathin veneers after 9 years of observation was not related to the ceramic used or to the presence of a composite resin restoration. Veneers were more commonly placed in middle-aged women and in mandibular anterior teeth.