Colorimetric Analysis of Preformed Zirconia Anterior Crowns for Esthetic Restoration

Lee, Changkeun; Park, Kibong; Yang, Yeonmi; Lee, Daewoo; Kim, Jaegon

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify which combination of zirconia crowns and cements is most similar in color to the maxillary primary incisors by varying the color of zirconia crowns, crown thickness, and shade of cements. Prefabricated zirconia crowns in 3 shades and crowns fabricated using 6 types of zirconia blocks were used in this study. These were filled with A2-shade or translucent-shade resin cement and the L(*), a(*), and b(*) values were calculated using a spectrophotometer. The color differences between the natural teeth and the zirconia crowns were assessed. The shade of the final restoration was more similar to that of the natural teeth using A2-shade than translucent-shade resin cement. Application of A2-shade cement to a 0.5-mm-thick crown fabricated from a smile series 2 zirconia block resulted in the color most similar to that of the natural teeth. A2-shade resin cement is recommended for zirconia crown restoration in anterior primary teeth compared to TR-shade resin cement for more esthetic restoration. Since restorations with Nusmile zirconia crowns were not esthetically favorable in terms of shade, improvement of the shade characteristics of the product or development of a new kind of zirconia crown is required.