Does Tooth Position Change Between Preparation and Cementation in Overlay Restoration? A Clinical Evaluation With/Out...

Area of Science:

• Dental Materials Science
• Restorative Dentistry
• Orthodontic Mechanics

Background:

• Tooth preparation for overlay restorations creates an interval before final cementation.
• Unprotected prepared teeth may undergo unwanted positional changes.
• Such changes can compromise the fit and success of the final restoration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess tooth positional changes between preparation and cementation for overlay restorations.
• To evaluate the effect of temporary restorations on these positional changes.
• To quantify movement in abutment, antagonist, and adjacent teeth.

Main Methods:

• Fifty teeth requiring overlay restorations were prepared and divided into two groups: with and without temporary restorations.
• Digital scans were taken immediately after preparation (T0) and before cementation (T1).
• Scans were superimposed to measure linear displacements of abutment (AB), antagonist (AN), and adjacent (AD) teeth.

Main Results:

• Tooth position significantly influenced movement (p < 0.0001).
• Abutment teeth (AB) showed significantly greater movement than antagonists (AN) and adjacent teeth (AD) (p < 0.0001).
• Temporary restorations significantly reduced movement in maxillary molars (p = 0.002) but not other teeth.

Conclusions:

• Omitting temporary restorations increases the risk of tooth positional changes.
• This risk is particularly relevant for specific tooth classes, potentially affecting overlay restoration outcomes.
• Using temporary restorations is advisable to maintain tooth position during the treatment interval.