Factors influencing retention of resin-based luting systems on implants: A systematic review

Abstract

Purpose

The large variety in materials makes it difficult for dentists to select the right material for appropriate retention of single crowns on implants. An assessment of the retentive force and influencing parameters is lacking. The aim of this systematic review is to provide an overview of the retention values of resin-based luting materials of single tooth crowns on implants. Influencing factors, such as the abutment geometry, different pretreatment options, or the application of resin-based systems, are taken into account.

Methods

A Pubmed-Medline library search was conducted, supported by manual searching, to collect available studies between the years 2005 to 2020. The following MeSH terms were used: “dental AND implant AND crown AND cementation AND retention”, as well as other combinations to identify as many studies as possible.

Results

After setting the filters and deleting the duplicates, 269 studies were identified. Finally, 23 studies were considered eligible for this review. Resin-based adhesive luting materials in combination with a primer showed the highest retention values. The retention is significantly influenced by a small cement gap, high loading during cementation, and pretreatment of the abutment. A low bias risk was shown for all included studies.

Conclusions

The large number of available resin-based luting materials offer dentists the possibility to influence the individual retention of single-tooth crowns on implants. According to the present study, retentive strength can be clinically influenced not only by the choice of luting material. A pretreatment using sandblasting and an appropriate primer influences retention positively. Exerting pressure on the restoration after cementation also leads to increased retention. However, clinical studies would be desirable for the future to further investigate the results of this review.