HIP zirconia fixed partial dentures--clinical results after 3 years of clinical service.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate prospectively the clinical performance of 3- to 6-unit zirconia fixed partial dentures (FPDs) after more than 3 years of clinical service.


METHODS
Since August 2002, 22 conventional all-ceramic FPDs have been inserted in 18 patients. Nineteen of the FPDs were placed with a resin-reinforced glass-ionomer cement. The frameworks were manufactured by a universal CAD/CAM production system, milling the zirconia out of the densely sintered stage. The frameworks were designed as 3-unit (14), 4-unit (3), 5-unit (2), and 6-unit FPDs (3) for the anterior and posterior regions. A new synthetic sintering glass-ceramic was employed as the veneering material. In the follow-up examinations at baseline, 6, 12, 24, and 36 months, 21 FPDs were inspected predominantly for framework fractures and chipping of the veneering material. Besides these parameters, periodontal status, sensitivity of the abutment teeth, esthetic outcome, as well as the incidence of secondary caries, were evaluated.


RESULTS
After a mean clinical observation of over 39 months, no framework fracture occurred. However, chipping of the veneering material was reported in 2 cases.


CONCLUSIONS
All-ceramic FPDs based on zirconia frameworks exhibited satisfactory clinical performance.
Edelhoff
Daniel
D
Department of Prosthodontics, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany. daniel.edelhoff@med.uni-muenchen.de
Florian
Beuer
B
Florian
Weber
W
Johnen
Christine
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002516:Ceramics; D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D003776:Dental Porcelain; D003801:Dental Veneers; D003779:Denture Design / Q000379:methods*; D003830:Denture, Partial, Fixed; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult; D015040:Zirconium
D003776:Dental Porcelain; C023506:Glass ceramics; D015040:Zirconium; C028541:zirconium oxide