Are Monolithic Zirconia Restorations a Viable Alternative to Metal-ceramic Restorations?

Kim et al. 7 evaluated the survival rates of implant-supported monolithic zirconia restorations.Among 644 zirconia crowns/fixed partial dentures (FPDs), only one failure was reported during 5 years of follow-up (99.84% survival rate).This failure was of an FPD that failed due to a connector fracture.Khijmatgar et al.,8 in their 15-year follow-up study, analyzed the clinical performance of implantsupported or endodontically treated tooth with zirconia single crowns and FPD.They reported 156 failures and 26 complications.Titanium implant-retained crowns showed more complications compared to natural teeth-supported crowns.In both short-term and long-term follow-up, monolithic zirconia crowns and bridges showed a good clinical success rate.Although monolithic zirconia bridges showed a higher failure rate compared to single crowns, the number was too low.Monolithic zirconia crowns used in posterior regions give a favorable result.Monolithic zirconia restorations made with the CAD-CAM technique seem to be simple and beneficial over a veneered design.More randomized controlled trials comparing monolithic zirconia with veneered ceramic restorations are needed to come to a definitive conclusion.