Effect of Die Spacer Thickness on the Microshear Bond Strength of CAD/CAM Lithium Disilicate Veneers.

Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the microshear bond strength of ceramic veneers with digital die spacer settings at 20, 40, and 100 m.

Materials And Methods: Eighteen milled lithium disilicate microdiscs (IPS e.max CAD, Ivoclar Vivadent) were divided into three groups ( = 6) according to their digital die spacer settings: group A = 20 m, group B = 40 m, and group C = 100 m. Six randomly selected sound maxillary premolars received three microdiscs each. Each microdisc was 1 mm in diameter and 1 mm in height. The buccal surfaces of the premolars were prepared with a 0.5 mm depth in enamel. After cementation, the specimens were thermocycled for 2,500 cycles between 5 and 55°C. Microshear bond strength testing was performed using a universal testing machine until bonding failure. Failure modes were evaluated using a stereomicroscope. Statistical analyses included one-way ANOVA, Tukey's post hoc test, and chi-square test with a 5% alpha error and 80% study power.

Results: The mean microshear bond strength values were calculated in MPa for group A = 31.91 ± 12.41, group B = 29.58 ± 5.03, and group C = 13.85 ± 4.12. One-way ANOVA ( ≤ 0.05) showed a statistically significant difference in microshear bond strength among the three groups. Tukey's post hoc test showed significant differences between groups A and C (=0.004) and between groups B and C (=0.011). The failure modes were presented as cohesive, adhesive, and mixed failures. Chi-square test indicated that the failure mode distribution was not significantly different among the three groups (=0.970).

Conclusion: Higher digital die spacer settings decrease the microshear bond strength of CAD/CAM lithium disilicate veneers.