Effect of porcelain firing and cementation on the marginal fit of implant-supported metal-ceramic restorations fabricated by additive or subtractive manufacturing methods

Abstract

Statement of problemAdaptation between abutment and suprastructure plays a crucial role in the long-term success of implant-supported metal-ceramic crowns. Fabrication methods, the porcelain firing stage, and cementation techniques may affect the marginal adaptation between the crown and abutment. However, the information regarding this issue is sparse. PurposeThe purpose of this in vitro study was to compare marginal fit after the fabrication of cobalt-chromium alloy copings, porcelain firing, and cementation of metal-ceramic restorations that were fabricated with computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) milling and direct metal laser sintering techniques. Material and methodsThirty straight tissue-level titanium abutments were screwed onto implant analogs. All specimens were embedded in acrylic resin and divided into 2 groups according to CAD-CAM milling and direct metal laser sintering fabrication of the metal coping. Fifteen cobalt-chromium implant-supported metal copings were fabricated by using the CAD-CAM milling technique and 15 by using the direct metal laser sintering technique. In both groups, marginal gap measurements between the cobalt-chromium copings and abutments were obtained before (T0) and after the placement of the ceramic veneer (T1) and after cementation (T2) by using a stereomicroscope with a magnification of ×40. The data were statistically evaluated by using 2-way ANOVA and the Tukey post hoc test (α=.05). A t test was used to determine whether there were significant differences between the fabrication techniques (α=.05). ResultsA significant difference in the fabrication stages was found in the direct metal laser sintering group. The direct metal laser sintering coping group and porcelain applied direct metal laser sintering group had a statistically lower marginal gap value than the cemented direct metal laser sintering group (P=.021, P=.038). The direct metal laser sintering coping group had a lower marginal gap value than the CAD-CAM milling coping group, although the difference was not statistically significant (P=.216). ConclusionsPorcelain firing and cementation increased the marginal gap between the crown and abutment. No statistically significant differences were found between the direct metal laser sintering and CAD-CAM milling techniques in terms of marginal fit.