CAD CAM Ceramics. A Review of the Scientific Literatures

Abstract

Abstract This study aims to provide a review of the literature on CAD/CAM ceramic restorations, focusing on their clinical properties compared to conventional restorations. In addition to manual searching, three scientific databases were searched for study designs that address at least one of the outcomes of interest regarding CAD/CAM ceramic restorations, including in vitro, in vivo, systematic, and narrative reviews. Up-to-date evidence supports an equivalent outcome of CAD/CAM to the conventional, including superior wear characteristics compared to the standard metal-ceramic restorations, with polished monolithic zirconia showing particularly promising wear characteristics compared to other ceramics. However, there are conflicting results regarding the abrasiveness of lithium disilicates compared to monolithic zirconia, though all were found to cause more wear than natural teeth, and the importance of surface treatment (polishing, glazing) was emphasized. Translucent monolithic zirconia improved aesthetics. However, it requires adequate thickness to compensate for the reduced strength (≥1.0 mm). There were deficiencies in long-term clinical trials regarding longevity; the available short- to medium-term studies showed high survival of CAD/CAM ceramic restorations (>90% at 5 years), expecting better performance with continuous technological development. Moreover, CAD/CAM workflow helped reduce laboratory time spent on restoration fabrication, which is necessary for increasing productivity. Based on laboratory and short-term clinical studies, the potential for CAD/CAM to surpass traditional methods is promising. However, the clinical evidence supporting CAD/CAM ceramic restorations is still not extensive. Therefore, well-conducted large clinical studies are needed to confirm the promising long-term performance of CAD/CAM ceramic restorations. Moreover, to help in the continuous enhancement of the material.