A randomized controlled clinical trial to evaluate and compare three chairside techniques of veneering stainless steel crowns.

Background: With the increasing patient demands of esthetics in paediatric dentistry, pre-veneered stainless steel crowns (SSCs) have been made available commercially. However, they suffer from technique sensitivity, limited ability to crimp and associated higher costs.

Aim: The present study was planned to clinically evaluate and compare the success of preformed SSCs in which esthetic modification was done using three different techniques of composite veneering.

Materials And Methods: A total of 60 primary molars selected from patients between the age group of 4-9 years were randomly divided into three groups having 20 samples each: Group A (composite veneering done using the open face technique), Group B (composite veneering done after sand-blasting SSCs), and Group C (composite veneering done after preparing retentive grooves on SSCs). The patients were evaluated at 1, 3, 6, and 9 months as per evaluation criteria.

Statistical Analysis: Kruskal-Wallis and ANOVA were used to compare means among three groups at different time intervals.

Results: All 60 SSCs were retained at the end of the study, thereby demonstrating 100% success of SSCs. Open window technique of veneering significantly showed maximum retention of composite veneers; therefore, highest level of parental satisfaction. Overall, the most common fracture was of adhesive type seen at the metal composite interface.

Conclusions: All the three techniques used provide a chairside and easy method for esthetic modification of the SSCs. The open window is the most successful of the three methods of veneering and may be clinically useful technique for dental practitioners and pediatric dentists.