title: Performance of zirconia ceramic cantilever fixed dental prostheses: 3-year results from a prospective, randomized, controlled pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little is known about the clinical performance of ceramic cantilever fixed dental prostheses on natural teeth.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this randomized controlled pilot study was to evaluate the clinical performance of ceramic and metal ceramic cantilever fixed dental prostheses (CFDPs) after 3 years of service.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one participants were randomly allocated to 2 treatment groups. Participants in the ceramic (ZC) group (n=11) each received 1 CFDP made of yttria-stabilized, tetragonal zirconia polycrystal; the others (n=10) were fitted with a metal ceramic (MC) CFDP. All CFDPs were retained by 2 complete crown abutments and replaced 1 tooth. The clinical target variables were survival, incidence of complications, probing pocket depth (PPD), probing attachment level (PAL), plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), and esthetic performance as rated by the participants. The United States Public Health Service (USPHS) criteria were used to evaluate chipping, retention, color, marginal integrity, and secondary caries. Descriptive statistics and nonparametric analyses were applied to the target variables in the 2 groups. The esthetic performance of the CFDPs was also visualized by using a pyramid comparison.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall survival of the CFDPs was 100% in both groups. During the 3-year study, 6 clinically relevant complications requiring aftercare were observed among 5 participants (4 in the ZC group and 2 in the MC group). Changes in the PI, GI, PPD, and PAL of the abutment teeth were similar for both groups (P>.05). The participants regarded the esthetic performance of ZC-CFDPs and MC-CFDPs as satisfactory.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Within the 3-year observation period, the clinical performance of MC-FDPs and ZC-FDPs was acceptable. More extensive research with larger sample sizes is encouraged, however, to confirm the evaluation of the survival of Y-TZP hand-veneered cantilever FPDs.
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Prosthodontics, University Hospital Heidelberg, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zenthöfer
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Prosthodontics, University Hospital Heidelberg, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ohlmann
authors.affiliation: Director, Department of Prosthodontics, University Hospital Heidelberg, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rammelsberg
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Prosthodontics, University Hospital Heidelberg, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany. Electronic address: Wolfgang.Boemicke@med.uni-heidelberg.de.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bömicke
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002516:Ceramics / Q000737:chemistry*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D000044:Dental Abutments; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000145:classification; D018772:Dental Marginal Adaptation; D003764:Dental Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D003774:Dental Plaque Index; D019232:Dental Restoration Failure; D003779:Denture Design; D003781:Denture Retention / Q000295:instrumentation; D003830:Denture, Partial, Fixed; D004955:Esthetics, Dental; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016876:Metal Ceramic Alloys / Q000737:chemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D017622:Periodontal Attachment Loss / Q000145:classification; D010512:Periodontal Index; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000145:classification; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017797:Prosthesis Coloring; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015019:Yttrium / Q000737:chemistry*; D015040:Zirconium / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D003764:Dental Materials; D016876:Metal Ceramic Alloys; C499362:yttria stabilized tetragonal zirconia; D015019:Yttrium; D015040:Zirconium