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

To evaluate whether teeth prepared for overlay restoration, as well as their antagonist or adjacent teeth, undergo positional changes between tooth preparation and final cementation appointments, with or without the use of a temporary restoration.

Fifty teeth (maxillary and mandibular molars and premolars) requiring overlay restorations were prepared and randomly assigned to 2 groups, according to whether a temporary restoration (Telio, Ivoclar Vivadent) was placed during the interval between appointments or not. Digital scans (Trios3) were obtained at the first appointment, immediately after tooth preparation (T0), and at the second appointment, before cementation (T1). The T0 and T1 .STL files were superimposed (Geomagic), and linear displacements of the abutment tooth (AB), its antagonist (AN), and the adjacent tooth (AD) were measured, providing a quantitative assessment of positional changes. Maximum tooth movement distances were statistically analyzed (p < 0.05).

The factor "tooth position" significantly influenced maximum tooth movement distance (p < 0.0001). Specifically, AB demonstrated greater positional changes compared to AN (p < 0.0001) and AD (p < 0.0001). Moreover, the placement of a temporary restoration significantly reduced the extent of tooth movement in maxillary molars (p = 0.002) but not in other investigated tooth classes (p > 0.05).

Omission of a temporary restoration during the interval between tooth preparation and overlay cementation may increase the risk of tooth positional changes for specific tooth classes.