Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 14, 2025
Quasistatic Mechanical Testing for Computer-Aided Design and Manufacturing Occlusal Veneers Cemented to Milled Dentin Analog Material
Published on: December 20, 2024
Monolithic and Partially Veneered High-Translucent Zirconium Dioxide, YSZ: A 4-Year Follow-up of a Multicenter
Purpose:
To systematically evaluate and compare the clinical performance of translucent zirconium dioxide 3-, 4-, and 5-unit fixed dental prostheses (FDPs) in the posterior dentition with either a monolithic design or with veneered buccal cutbacks (semimonolithic).
Materials And Methods:
A total of 31 patients treated by general practitioners received 31 translucent zirconium dioxide FDPs, randomized to be either monolithic or semimonolithic with a porcelain-veneered buccal cutback. The design choice was blinded. Clinical evaluations were made using the California Dental Association (CDA) criteria, and a questionnaire was used to obtain patient-reported outcomes and to compare them to ratings from the dentists.
Results:
Mean follow-up time was 48.7 months (SD = 7.7). No FDP fractured during the observation period, and no chip-off fractures could be detected. The overall success rate was 85.2%. One monolithic FDP was found with caries, and one semimonolithic FDP was endodontically treated, giving an overall survival rate of 92.6%. Two FDPs, both semimonolithic, failed due to loss of retention and caries. Both patients and dentists rated the FDPs favorably regarding the esthetic outcome and function, but the patients scored them higher than the dentists in this respect.
Conclusions:
Within the limitations of the study, both monolithic and semimonolithic yttria-stabilized zirconium dioxide FDPs seem to be a reliable choice of treatment for 3- to 5-unit restorations in the posterior dentition. The esthetic advantages of a porcelain veneer compared to a monolithic design might, however, be of less importance in the posterior regions for most patients.
