Clinical Trial Reveals Comparable Performance of Polymer-Infiltrated Ceramic and Lithium Disilicate Posterior Crowns

BRAZIL: In a collaborative effort between researchers from the State University of Rio Grande do Norte (UERN) in Brazil and the Universiteit van Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit in the Netherlands, a comprehensive clinical trial has shed light on the clinical performance of two types of posterior dental crowns. 

The study, titled “Clinical performance of monolithic polymer-infiltrated ceramic and lithium disilicate posterior crowns: A controlled, randomised, and double-blind clinical trial,” aimed to assess the durability of monolithic polymer-infiltrated ceramic crowns compared to lithium disilicate crowns over a one-year period.

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Investigating Crown Durability

The research addressed a critical question in the field of dentistry: the long-term success rate of monolithic polymer-infiltrated ceramic posterior crowns. 

The study sought to provide valuable insights into the clinical performance of these crowns and their impact on factors such as aesthetic satisfaction, quality of life, and periodontal health.

A total of 33 crowns were provided to 18 participants, with individuals divided into two groups: the Control group, receiving lithium disilicate crowns (IPS e.max CAD; Ivoclar AG), and the Experimental group, receiving polymer-infiltrated ceramic crowns (Vita Enamic; Vita Zahnfabrik). 

Assessments were conducted before treatment (T0) and at 1 month (T1), 6 months (T2), and 12 months (T3) post-treatment. Evaluation criteria included the modified United States Public Health Service (USPHS) criteria, visual analog scales (VASs) for esthetic satisfaction, oral impacts on daily performances (OIDP), and periodontal parameters.

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Key Findings

The study’s findings revealed several important outcomes:

• Survival Rates: Both materials demonstrated comparable survival rates, with polymer-infiltrated ceramic crowns showing a survival rate of 92.5%, and lithium disilicate crowns with a rate of 94.7%. This difference was not statistically significant (P>.05).

• Periodontal Health: An increase in bleeding on probing (BOP) was observed in the polymer-infiltrated ceramic group, with a statistically significant difference (P=.032). However, this increase was not significant in the lithium disilicate group (P=.387).

Promising Clinical Performance

In conclusion, the clinical trial revealed that the two evaluated materials, polymer-infiltrated ceramic and lithium disilicate, exhibited comparable performance in terms of crown survival rates after one year of follow-up. 

This finding suggests that both materials are suitable choices for posterior crowns, with acceptable clinical performance. The study’s results contribute valuable data to the field of dentistry and provide practitioners with evidence to inform their choice of crown material, ultimately benefiting patient outcomes and satisfaction.

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