4 tips to ensure long-term success of porcelain restorations

By Santine Anderson, DDS

Most dentists are confident in their ability to place porcelain restorations, but it’s easy to fall into bad habits that can compromise longevity. Revisit these four tips to help ensure success:

1. Choose the proper material. Carefully consider the demands in esthetics and strength that will be placed on the restoration. Very often, patients will have different needs for anterior and posterior crowns.

2. Prepare teeth properly. Manufacturers have very specific preparation guidelines, and following these recommendations is one of the most important steps to ensuring success. The requirements for design of a zirconia coping are much different than those for a PFM, and when a dentist tries to take shortcuts and the lab tries to make it work, fracture and chipping can occur.

3. Make sure your lab follows manufacturers’ guidelines. Firing times, temperatures, and other specifications can vary widely among manufacturers. Improper firing is another major contributor to failure. Choose a lab that has experience in porcelain restorations and adheres to guidelines.

4. Use the right cement. Spending the time up front to select the proper cement can go a long way toward preventing debonding. In most cases, a self-adhesive resin cement such as 3M™ ESPE™ RelyX™ Unicem 2 Automix Self-Adhesive Resin Cement is suitable and can help save time in placement. Refer to research from reputable third-party sources (i.e., THE DENTAL ADVISOR, etc.) to confirm a product’s claims and identify the ideal product for each individual case.

Author bio
Santine Anderson, DDS, is a practicing partner at Enspire Dental and an assistant editor at THE DENTAL ADVISOR. She graduated from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry and began her career during undergraduate school working for THE DENTAL ADVISOR. She brings clinical knowledge and experience to the dental profession through lectures, editorials, and clinical case reports. For more information, visit www.dentaladvisor.com.