The repair methods for fractured metal-porcelain restorations: a review of the literature.

Metal-ceramic restorations are popular in restorative dentistry. Although metal-ceramic restorations are universally accepted, they have such disadvantages as occasional fractures of the veneer. Fracture and loss of the veneering ceramic of a fixed partial denture is troublesome. If the restoration is in an otherwise acceptable condition, dentists frequently use different repair methods to avoid removal of the restoration. The techniques for repair of fractured porcelain restorations include a) rebonding the fractured chip to the fixed restoration, b) fabricating a porcelain veneer to bond to the fractured porcelain, and c) using a composite resin to restore the fractured porcelain. This article presents a literature review of the intra and extra oral repair techniques for fractured metal-porcelain restorations. A PubMed data base search was conducted for the repair of porcelain.