The fracture resistance of all-ceramic crowns on supporting structures with different elastic moduli

This in vitro study evaluated the fracture resistance of all-ceramic crowns as a function of the elastic modulus of the supporting die. All-ceramic crowns were made for dies with three different elastic moduli and two different crown lengths. The occlusal surface was loaded in compression with a 12.7-mm steel ball. The fracture load increased markedly with the increase in elastic modulus. The largest increase was seen when only the occlusal surface of the crown was covered. The characteristic fracture load of the complete-crown restorations was more than double that of the occlusal-cover restorations in the dies with the lowest modulus of elasticity, while for the dies with the highest modulus of elasticity the difference in the characteristic fracture load for the two configurations was not significant.