Marginal discrepancy of monolithic and veneered all-ceramic crowns on titanium and zirconia implant abutments before and after adhesive cementation: a scanning electron microscopy analysis.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the marginal discrepancy of monolithic and veneered all-ceramic crown systems cemented on titanium (Ti) and zirconia implant abutments.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sixty customized implant abutments for a maxillary right central incisor were fabricated of Ti and zirconia (n = 30 of each) for an internal-connection implant system. All-ceramic crowns were fabricated using the following systems (n = 10 per group): monolithic with computer-aided design/computer-assisted manufacture (CAD/CAM) lithium disilicate (MLD), pressed lithium disilicate (PLD), or CAD yttrium-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (Y-TZP). The frameworks of the PLD and Y-TZP systems were manually veneered with a fluorapatite-based ceramic. The crowns were cemented to their implant abutments, and the absolute marginal discrepancy of the gap was measured before and after cementation. Data were analyzed statistically.

RESULTS: Marginal discrepancies were significantly influenced by the crown system and by cementation, but the material did not significantly affect the results. Interaction terms were not significant. Y-TZP crowns on both Ti and zirconia abutments presented the smallest mean marginal discrepancies before (52.1 ± 17 μm and 56.2 ± 11 μm, respectively) and after cementation (98.7 ± 17 μm and 101.8 ± 16 μm, respectively). Before cementation, MLD crowns showed significantly larger mean marginal openings than PLD crowns on both Ti and zirconia abutments (75.2 ± 12 and 77.5 ± 13 μm for MLD, 52.1 ± 17 μm and 69.7 ± 8 μm for PLD, respectively). After cementation, both Ti and zirconia abutments with MLD crowns (113.5 ± 12 μm and 118.3 ± 14 μm, respectively) showed significantly larger values than with PLD crowns (98.7 ± 17 μm and 109.4 ± 9 μm, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS: Manually veneered Y-TZP crowns demonstrated more favorable marginal fit on both Ti and zirconia implant abutments before and after cementation compared to those of MLD and PLD.