Survival of Dicor glass-ceramic dental restorations over 14 years. Part II: Effect of thickness of Dicor material and design of tooth preparation

Statement of problem. The influence of different restorative design features on the long-term survival of Dicor glass-ceramic restorations is not well understood. Purpose. This study examined the relationship of different types of restorations and methods of preparation with the survival of Dicor glass-ceramic restorations functioning in vivo. Material and methods. A total of 1444 Dicor glass-ceramic restorations were placed on the teeth of 417 adults. Failure was defined as a restoration that required remake because of material fracture. Survival of restorations of different types and with different methods of preparation was described by using Kaplan Meier survivor functions. Statistical significance between restoration type and preparation method was determined with the log rank test. Results. Probability of survival of a typical partial coverage restoration was 92% at 11.3 years. There was no statistically significant difference between the survival of inlay or onlay restorations. For the 91 cores used for pulpless teeth, none failed over a total cumulative monitoring period of 419 years. There was no significant difference in survival of acid-etched Dicor restorations that were placed on shoulder or chamfer preparations. Thickness measured at the midpoint of the labial, lingual, mesial, distal, and midocclusal surfaces did not relate to risk of failure. Conclusions. The majority of Dicor glass-ceramic partial coverage inlay and onlay restorations and cores survived over time. Survival of restorations with either chamfer or shoulder preparations did not differ whether the restoration was acid-etched. Thickness of the restoration measured at the midaxial point of each surface did not relate to survival.