Background
Bonding crowns and bridges with resin cement can improve retention and reinforcement
of the restoration. However, there is variation in the steps taken by different practitioners
to achieve this goal.
Methods
The authors developed a survey on bonding dental crowns and bridges with resin cement
and distributed it electronically to the American Dental Association Clinical Evaluators
(ACE) Panel on May 22, 2020. The survey remained open for 2 weeks. Descriptive data
analysis was conducted using SAS Version 9.4.
Results
A total of 326 panelists responded to the survey, and 86% of respondents who place
crowns or bridges use resin cements for bonding. When placing a lithium disilicate
restoration, an almost equal proportion of respondents etch it with hydrofluoric acid
in their office or asked the laboratory to do it for them, and more than two-thirds
use a silane primer before bonding. For zirconia restorations, 70% reported their
restorations are sandblasted in the laboratory, and 39% use a primer containing 10-methacryloyloxydecyl
dihydrogen phosphate. One-half of respondents clean their lithium disilicate or zirconia
restorations with a cleaning solution. Resin cements used with a primer in the etch-and-rinse
mode are the most widely used. The technique used to cure and clean excess resin cement
varies among respondents.
Conclusions
The types of resin cements used, tooth preparation, crown or bridge preparation, and
bonding technique vary among this sample.
Practical Implications
Although many dentists bond crowns and bridges on the basis of best practices, improvement
in the process may be achieved by dentists communicating with their laboratory to
confirm the steps performed there, ensuring an effective cleaning technique is used
after try-in and verifying that the correct primer is used with their chosen restorative
material.
