A comparison of fracture resistance of endodontically treated teeth restored with bonded partial restorations and full-coverage porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of bonded partial restorations compared with full-coverage porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) crowns as a viable treatment option for endodontically treated posterior teeth. Forty-five recently extracted maxillary first premolars were collected, endodontically treated, and mounted in acrylic blocks. The specimens were randomly divided into three groups and prepared to receive their respective restorations. The teeth in group 1 received full-coverage porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns. The teeth in group 2 received bonded partial restorations made from pressed ceramics (lithium disilicate) involving a functional cusp (palatal). Finally, group 3 received bonded partial restorations made from pressed ceramics involving the buccal cusp and keeping a functional cusp (palatal) intact. All group 1 restorations were cemented using glass ionomer cement. Restorations in groups 2 and 3 were bonded using a dual-cured resin cement. All specimens were subjected to an aging process and tested for shear bond strength using a universal loading machine. The mean force applied in Newtons to cause failure for group I was 674.90 ± 94.16 N, for group 2, 463.46 ± 61.11 N, and for group 3, 849.33 ± 68.92 N. P values obtained using one-way analysis of variance showed a highly significant difference between groups 2 and 3 (P = .001), groups 1 and 2 (P = .001), and groups 1 and 3 (P = .001). The fracture modes observed in all groups involved restorations and tooth fracture. This in vitro study suggests that endodontically treated posterior teeth with intact functional cusps can be restored with bonded partial porcelain restorations. However, if the loss of tooth structure involves the functional cusp, full-coverage PFM crowns are the treatment of choice.