title: Optical behavior of current ceramic systems.
abstract: The restoration of anterior teeth is a difficult task, even for an experienced operator. Currently there are many different ceramic systems that can be used to achieve highly esthetic results. These include metal-ceramics with porcelain margins, Dicor, In-Ceram, Cerestore, Hi-Ceram, IPS-Empress, Cerapearl, Optec, and CAD/CAM ceramics. While metal-ceramics have been used for more than four decades, the quest for a material that transmits and refracts light like a natural tooth has inspired research into all-ceramic restorations. The purpose of this paper is to briefly discuss the properties of each of the above-mentioned materials and clinically evaluate the optical behavior of: (1) metal-ceramic crowns with castings 2 mm short of the shoulder preparation and 360-degree porcelain margins; (2) In-Ceram Spinell restorations; and (3) IPS Empress restorations, and to compare these with metal-ceramic crowns with copings to the shoulder preparation and 180-degree porcelain margins. Light transmission characteristics and color matching were subjectively evaluated by five experienced prosthodontists who did not participate in this clinical study.
authors.affiliation: Division of Postgraduate Prosthodontics, Tufts University, School of Dental Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Nicolas V
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Raptis
authors.forename: Konstantinos X
authors.initials: KX
authors.lastname: Michalakis
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hirayama
mesh_terms: D000537:Aluminum Oxide / Q000737:chemistry; D000538:Aluminum Silicates / Q000737:chemistry; D001031:Apatites / Q000737:chemistry; D002516:Ceramics / Q000737:chemistry*; D003116:Color; D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D003764:Dental Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D003776:Dental Porcelain / Q000737:chemistry*; D017267:Dental Prosthesis Design; D004955:Esthetics, Dental; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008027:Light; D016876:Metal Ceramic Alloys / Q000737:chemistry; D055095:Optics and Photonics; D013499:Surface Properties; D019231:Tooth Preparation, Prosthodontic
chemical_list: D000538:Aluminum Silicates; D001031:Apatites; C073969:Cerapearl; D003764:Dental Materials; C047475:Dicor ceramic; C062269:Hi Ceram; C075815:IPS-Empress ceramic; D016876:Metal Ceramic Alloys; D003776:Dental Porcelain; C073101:Optec; C070870:In-Ceram; C050798:cerestore; D000537:Aluminum Oxide