Retrospective survey of resin-retained cast-metal palatal veneers for the treatment of anterior palatal tooth wear

Anterior palatal tooth wear is easily recognized, but its precise pathogenesis remains unknown. Treatment of this condition with cast-alloy palatal veneers used in combination with an adhesive cement is described. Forty-eight patients, aged 11 to 71, were treated with a total of 210 cast metal veneers over a period of 56 months. Twenty-three of the restorations failed, resulting in an overall success rate of 89%. All failures were confined to 13 patients. A glass polyalkenoate cement was less effective than a chemically active resin composite luting agent. Nickel-chromium veneers cemented with activated resin composite recorded a survival pobability of 0.74 at 56 months. Adhesive cast-alloy veneers provied a useful method of restoring maxillary anterior teeth affected by acid erosion.