| Objectives. To determine, by means of static fracture testing the effect ofthe tooth preparation
design and the elastic modulus of the cement on the structural integrity of the cemented
machined ceramic crown-tooth complex.
Methods. Human maxillary extracted premolar teeth were prepared for all-ceramic crowns
using two preparation designs; a standard preparation in accordance with established protocols and a novel design with a flat occlusal design. All-ceramic feldspathic (Vita MK II) crowns
were milled for all the preparations using a CAD/CAM system (CEREC-3). The machined allceramic crowns were resin bonded to the tooth structure using one of three cements with
different elastic moduli: Super-Bond C&B, Rely X Unicem and Panavia F 2.0. The specimens
were subjected to compressive force through a 4mm diameter steel ball at a crosshead speed
of 1mm/min using a universal test machine (Loyds Instrument Model LRX.). The load at the
fracture point was recorded for each specimen in Newtons (N). These values were compared
to a control group of unprepared/unrestored teeth.
Results. There was a significant difference between the control group, with higher fracture
strength, and the cemented samples regardless of the occlusal design and the type of resin
cement. There was no significant difference in mean fracture load between the two designs
of occlusal preparation using Super-Bond C&B. For the Rely X Unicem and Panavia F 2.0
cements,the proposed preparation design with a flat occlusal morphology provides a system
with increased fracture strength.
Significance. The proposed novel flat design showed less dependency on the resin cement
selection in relation to the fracture strength of the restored tooth. The choice of the cement
resin, with respect to its modulus of elasticity, is more important in the anatomic design
than in the flat design. |