Optical Behavior of Current Ceramic Systems

The restoration of anterior teeth is a difficult task, even for an experienced operator. Currently there are many different ceramic systems that can be used to achieve highly esthetic results. These include metal-ceramics with porcelain margins, Dicor, In-Ceram, Cerestore, Hi-Ceram, IPS-Empress, Cerapearl, Optec, and CAD/CAM ceramics. While metal-ceramics have been used for more than four decades, the quest for a material that transmits and refracts light like a natural tooth has inspired research into all-ceramic restorations. The purpose of this paper is to briefly discuss the properties of each of the above-mentioned materials and clinically evaluate the optical behavior of: (1) metal-ceramic crowns with castings 2 mm short of the shoulder preparation and 360-degree porcelain margins; (2) In- Ceram Spinell restorations; and (3) IPS Empress restorations, and to compare these with metal-ceramic crowns with copings to the shoulder preparation and 180-degree porcelain margins. Light transmission characteristics and color matching were subjectively evaluated by five experienced prosthodontists who did not participate in this clinical study.