OBJECTIVE

To investigate the nature and availability of evidence on the clinical performance of posterior partial coverage restorations (PCR) fabricated from different ceramic materials, outcome definitions, measurement methods, study drop-outs and follow ups.

OVERVIEW

A systematic literature search (inception-February 2024) was performed through MEDLINE, Scopus, CENTRAL, ClinicalTrials.gov, and the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform to identify clinical studies with a focus on posterior PCRs (onlays, occlusal veneers and partial crowns) with a minimum follow-up of 1 year. Thirteen of 31 included studies were randomized controlled trials (RCT) and 18 non-randomized studies of intervention (NRS). Six RCTs compared two different ceramic materials and might be suitable for meta-analysis. Differences in study design, definition of survival, evaluation methods, and statistical models for survival analysis were identified as reasons for expected heterogeneity among studies. The most common reasons for restoration failures were ceramic fractures and retention loss.

CONCLUSION

The evidence informing the effect of PCRs varied in definitions of survival and failure, complication classifications, and workflow approaches. RCTs addressing clinical performance of PCRs comparing different ceramic materials are available for conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses.