Ceramic anterior veneer restorations in periodontally compromised patients: A retrospective study.

Background: Successful periodontal therapy can lead to poor esthetic results, especially in the anterior region, for which there are treatment options such as direct composite or indirect veneer restorations. Until now, there are no data describing the long-term results of veneer restorations in periodontally treated patients. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the outcome of anterior porcelain veneer restorations in periodontally compromised and noncompromised patients.

Methods: Periodontally healthy and periodontally compromised patients, who had received anterior veneer restorations at least 5 years ago, were invited to a follow-up examination. Groups were divided according to their periodontal diagnosis (periodontally healthy, stage I/II, stage III/IV). Tooth loss, veneer loss, biologic parameters, and complication rates were examined. Also, veneers were evaluated according to modified United States Public Health Service criteria.

Results: A total of 68 patients with 312 veneers were examined with a mean follow-up time of 8 years. Veneered teeth in patients with periodontitis stage III/IV showed no difference regarding tooth-specific, overall, and functional veneer survival when compared to periodontally healthy patients (Kaplan-Meier analyses). In Cox regression analysis, follow-up time had an impact on complications and veneer loss, whereas periodontal diagnosis showed no significant influence on the survival of restorations. Comparative tests showed that patients with severe periodontitis at baseline have slightly lower veneer survival rates after 8 years and slightly higher complication rates after 13 years.

Conclusion: Long-term results and complication rates of veneer restorations in periodontally compromised patients are comparable to periodontally healthy patients over a mean follow-up of 8 years.