Comparing the shade stability of lithium disilicate veneers bonded with a light-curing or dual-curing resin cement: a narrative review.

Veneers should be bonded with a resin cement that will undergo minimal discoloration over time. This narrative review was conducted to compare the shade stability of lithium disilicate veneers seated with light-curing (LC) vs dual-curing (DC) resin cement. The PubMed database was searched for in vitro and in vivo studies that were written in or translated into English and published within the last 8 years as of June 1, 2024. Studies were included if they had a minimum sample size of 10 veneers with a thickness of less than 1.5 mm and quantitatively measured shade stability using a spectrophotometer, with color change calculated as ΔE*_ab , ΔE*₀₀ , or both. Studies using self-curing cements not activated by light were excluded. After identification of 3910 studies and subsequent screening of titles and abstracts, the full text of 21 articles was reviewed for possible inclusion. A total of 10 studies (9 in vitro experiments and 1 clinical trial) with a moderate risk of bias met the inclusion criteria. While 7 studies reported that the use of LC vs DC cements had no statistically significant effect on the shade stability of lithium disilicate veneers, 1 study found that LC specimens had significantly lower ΔE*_ab values (P < 0.001) and another study identified a statistically significant difference in shade stability when ΔE*₀₀ was calculated, with DC (amine-free) specimens more stable than LC specimens, but found no significant difference when ΔE*_ab was calculated. In a third study, an LC cement group showed lower ΔE*_ab values than 3 DC cement groups, but only some differences achieved statistical significance. The majority of evidence showed no significant difference in the shade stability of lithium disilicate veneers bonded with LC vs DC resin cement. Cement selection should be based on other factors, including bond strength, cement shade and opacity, handling properties, and cost.