title: Clinical evaluation of posterior all-ceramic FPDs (Cercon): a prospective clinical pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study prospectively evaluated the clinical performance of posterior zirconium-oxide-based all-ceramic fixed partial dentures (FPDs).
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-two abutments of 21 Cercon FPDs were fitted in 20 patients at the Tsurumi University Dental Hospital from August 2005 to August 2006. The performance of these FPDs was evaluated using the California Dental Association (CDA) quality assessment system at baseline and at all follow-up examinations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All FPDs were examined after a mean observation period of 28.1 (+/-3.4) months. During the observation period, no fracturing of FPDs was seen. All of the FPDs examined were rated as satisfactory with regard to all factors at the follow-up examinations based on the CDA quality assessment criteria.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Within the limitations of this short-term clinical study, no core framework fractures were seen. According to the CDA criteria, 100% of the FPDs were rated as satisfactory during this observation period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Fixed Prosthodontics, Tsurumi University, School of Dental Medicine, Yokohama, Japan. tsumita-mitsuyoshi@tsurumi-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Mitsuyoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsumita
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kokubo
authors.forename: Chikahiro
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ohkubo
authors.forename: Satoe
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sakurai
authors.forename: Shunji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fukushima
mesh_terms: D002516:Ceramics; D003830:Denture, Partial, Fixed; D006801:Humans; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015040:Zirconium
chemical_list: D015040:Zirconium; C028541:zirconium oxide