Short Communication: Effect of Veneering Method on the Fracture and Bond Strength of Bilayered Zirconia Restorations

This study evaluated the fracture strength and microtensile bond strength of a new computer-aided design (CAD) veneering method for zirconia frameworks. A new CAD/computer-assisted manufacture system was used to fabricate a resin replica of the esthetic ceramic required to veneer a zirconia framework. The replicas were processed using press-on technology. Identical manually layered zirconia specimens served as a control (n = 18; a = .05). Statistical analysis revealed that the fracture strength (442.8 ± 25 N) and microtensile bond strength (26.6 ± 2 MPa) of CAD-veneered zirconia were significantly higher (P .001) compared to the control (346 ± 24 N and 15.1 ± 1 MPa, respectively). CAD veneering is a reliable method for veneering zirconia frameworks.