Chairside - Glidewell Dental Labs

Figure 18: Cross section through a crown that had been veneered with
porcelain. The distal abutment of this bridge had failed, necessitating
removal. Note the uniform thickness of the remaining porcelain and the
veneer restoration. The film thickness of the resin cement is also very
uniform and micromechanically lutes the surfaces together.
Figure 19: A full-smile, retracted view after delivery of restorations on
tooth #4–12 and #21–28. The veneers on tooth #4 and #5 are veneered to
a long-span PFM bridge as well. Note how well these restorations blend
in with the new anterior restorations.
Figure 18 shows a cross section through a porcelainfused-to-metal
crown that was reveneered with porcelain
to change the facial color to a brighter value, in order to
match the adjacent restorations. Note the uniform thickness
of resin cement and veneered porcelain. The bond of the
porcelain veneer to the prepared porcelain surface is as
strong as that bonded to dentin. Figure 19 shows the
affected area in a full-arch, retracted view after placement
of the esthetic anterior restorations. The previous bridge
was retained, however the facial surface that was visible in
the patient’s smile (tooth #28) was altered with a porcelain
veneer to match the anterior restorations.
Conclusion
This technique demonstrates how to repair existing porcelain
restorations by bonding a porcelain veneer to the affected
porcelain surface. By taking advantage of the strength of a
porcelain-to-porcelain bond using resin cement technology,
we can now make predictable porcelain repairs and resurface
existing porcelain (and porcelain-fused-to-metal) crown &
bridge restorations in a very predictable manner. CM
Dr. Robert Lowe is in private practice in Charlotte, N.C. He lectures internationally
and publishes on esthetic and restorative dentistry. Contact him at 704-364-4711
or boblowedds@aol.com.
24 www.chairsidemagazine.com