Clinical evaluation of pediatric zirconia crowns cemented with two luting cements: a 12 months split-mouth randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND

Several treatment options have been proposed for restoring primary teeth in children. Recently, Zirconia crowns have been introduced as an esthetic option and gained wide popularity. However, the literature is still limited regarding the clinical outcomes and luting techniques of these crowns. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical efficacy of using Glass Ionomer Cement (GIC) versus self-adhesive resin cement with anterior zirconia crowns.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a split-mouth randomised clinical trial that involved healthy three-to-five-year-old children with carious primary incisors that required restoration with zirconia crowns. Pair-matched incisors were randomly assigned to receive either resin cement or GIC for crown cementation. Crowns were clinically evaluated for retention, and gingival condition at 1-week, 1-,3-, 6- and 12-month recall appointments.

RESULTS

Twenty-six children were enrolled in the study with a total of 42 pair-matched incisors (i.e. 84 teeth). Follow-up durations ranged from 12 to 30 months. Over the study period, only one patient experienced crown debonding in the GIC group. Maximum retention (100%) was reported for both GIC and resin cement groups after 12 months. Regarding gingival health, no statistically significant difference was found in the gingival index scores between the two cement types at all follow-up points.

CONCLUSION

The effect of the type of cement is likely to be clinically insignificant. GIC could be considered a valid alternative to the resin-based cement for zirconia crowns in primary teeth.