Three-dimensional Evaluation of Wear of Primary Teeth Opposing Various Posterior Pediatric Crowns after Aging Procedures: An In Vitro Study

Aims and background: Neglecting to replace diseased or decayed teeth results in different dental illnesses, some of which may require extensive and expensive treatment.Stainless steel crowns (SSCs) still remain optimal for primary molar rehabilitation, yet some disadvantages prompted the introduction of esthetic alternatives: zirconia (ZC) and Bioflx (BF) crowns.Comparing their wear effects on opposing natural teeth is crucial for clinical decision-making.Hence, the aim of this study is to evaluate and compare the wear of primary teeth opposing various pediatric crowns after aging procedures, using a three-dimensional surface scanner.Materials and methods: Ten natural primary maxillary second molars (control group A) and ten primary molar crowns in each group-SSCs (group B), ZC (group C), and BF (group D)-were antagonized against primary second mandibular molars.Aging procedures included artificial saliva immersion, thermocycling, and two-body wear testing.Prescan and postscan images were obtained and superimposed using a 3D scanner.Statistical analysis was done using one-way ANOVA and post hoc tests with a statistically significant level of p < 0.05.Results: Mean volumetric loss of antagonist teeth in group C (ZC) was 3.37 0.198, followed by similar results in group D (BF), which was 2.21 0.33; group B (SSC) was 2.03 0.36, where all values were statistically significant with the p-value of < 0.05.Conclusion: Bioflx crowns express similar antagonistic tooth wear compared to SSCs, while ZC were distinguished with higher values.Clinical significance: These insights help clinicians choose materials that effectively restore both function and esthetics while considering differences in tooth structure and occlusion, which are termed to be essential aspects of pediatric dentistry.