Survival and success of veneered zirconia crowns.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the long-term clinical survival and success rate of veneered zirconia crowns with a modified anatomical framework design after 10 years in function.

Materials and methods: In total, 36 zirconia crowns were fabricated for 28 patients. An anatomically modified framework design was developed. Crowns were inserted between 2008 and 2009. A follow-up of 19 patients with 28 crowns was conducted in 2020 to document mechanical and biologic parameters. Additionally, a modified version of the pink esthetic score (PES) was documented. Patient satisfaction was assessed using United States Public Health Service (USPHS) criteria. The success and survival rates were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier analysis.

Results: After more than 10 years of clinical service, the survival rate of the zirconia crowns was 92.9%. Biologic complications occurred in 12% of the examined crowns, whereas technical complications occurred in 54%. Mostly, chippings (50%) and insufficient marginal gaps (50%) were observed. Most crowns were positively evaluated for more than one technical complication. Periodontal conditions with probing depths of up to 3 mm were comparable with measured values before crown delivery (73% to 75%). Most of the crowns had modified PES values of 10 or higher. Patient satisfaction was high.

Conclusions: The modified framework design led to a high survival rate of the crowns but a relatively low success rate. High patient satisfaction and inconspicuous periodontal conditions were demonstrated. Biologic complications occurred far less frequently than technical complications.