Three-year split-mouth randomized clinical comparison between crowns fabricated in a titanium-zirconium and a gold-palladium alloy.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to compare the clinical performance of metal-ceramic crowns made with an experimental alloy prepared by the Nordic Institute of Dental Materials, containing 15% zirconium and 85% titanium (Ti-15% Zr), and a high noble gold-palladium alloy (Mattikraft).


METHODS
Twenty patients who satisfied the inclusion criteria were selected sequentially from the departmental waiting list. Each patient received 2 crowns in the premolar or molar region. Which tooth was to receive a crown based on gold-palladium alloy or Ti-15% Zr alloy was randomly decided. A number of aspects indicating the clinical performance of the crowns were recorded at baseline and after 1, 2, and 3 years.


RESULTS
No statistically significant differences between the 2 types of crowns were demonstrated regarding overall technical evaluation, occurrence of plaque, bleeding on probing, or patient satisfaction. Periodontal pocket measurements around Ti-15% Zr crowns were significantly higher than those around gold alloy crowns. However, a similar difference also existed at baseline. Periodontal pocket measurements increased and patient satisfaction improved significantly over time.


CONCLUSIONS
Within the limitations of this study, the results indicate that there is no difference in the clinical performance of crowns based on Ti-15% Zr or gold-palladium alloy.
Berg
Einar
E
Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Oral Sciences-Prosthodontics, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway. einar.berg@odont.uib.no
Nesse
Harald
H
Skavland
Ragnfrid Johanne
RJ
Liu
Qingqing
Q
Bøe
Olav Egil
OE
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003442:Crowns; D003722:Dental Alloys; D003773:Dental Plaque; D017267:Dental Prosthesis Design; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006047:Gold Alloys; D006801:Humans; D016876:Metal Ceramic Alloys; D008875:Middle Aged; D010165:Palladium; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010512:Periodontal Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014025:Titanium; D015040:Zirconium
D003722:Dental Alloys; D006047:Gold Alloys; D016876:Metal Ceramic Alloys; D010165:Palladium; D015040:Zirconium; D014025:Titanium