The metal-ceramic fixed partial prosthesis is the golden standard for posterior tooth restorations. Following the demands of patients and clinicians for metal-free restorations, all-ceramic materials were developed as they offer an adequate alternative with better optical qualities and good mechanical properties. This study aims to carry out a bibliographic review to assess the survival rate and the biological and technical complications of all-ceramic and metal-ceramic fixed partial dentures. An electronic search for articles in the English language literature was performed using PubMed (MEDLINE). This literature review focused on research studies between 2010 and 2020 that performed clinical studies on tooth-supported fixed partial dentures with a mean follow-up of at least 3 years. All the studies, which analyzed the survival and complications of tooth-supported fixed partial dentures, were included. Thus, 14 studies reporting on 756 all-ceramic and 160 metal-ceramic fixed partial dentures met the inclusion criteria. A comparative analysis was carried out based on all the data existing in the studies included in this review. The metal-ceramic fixed partial dentures showed survival rates of 95% to 100% at 3-, 5-, and 10-year follow-up periods. Zirconia fixed partial dentures were reported to have survival rates of 81% to 100% at 3-, 5-, 9-, 10-year follow-up evaluations. The reinforced glass-ceramic fixed partial dentures showed survival rates of 70% to 93.35% at 5 years, while the alumina FPDs showed a survival rate of 68% at 3 years follow-up. The incidence of caries and loss of vitality were reported as higher for all-ceramic prostheses as compared to the metal-ceramic ones. A significant framework fracture was reported for glass-infiltrated alumina fixed partial dentures in comparison to metal-ceramic fixed partial dentures. All-ceramic and metal-ceramic restorations showed similar survival rates after 3 years, although all-ceramic restorations have problems with technical complications such as chipping, which can lead to framework fractures over time.

Background and Objectives: The vertical dimension of occlusion’s (VDO) assessment is a highly important issue in the everyday dentist’s practice. Patients with unstable occlusion, lost occlusal stops, extensive tooth loss in the lateral area, or complete edentulism need a proper assessment of the VDO before the prosthetic restoration is carried out. Subjective and objective methods were used over time for the restoration of VDO. The study aimed to investigate the possible correlation between finger length, palm width and the vertical dimension of occlusion. Materials and Methods: Assessment of the VDO for 236 subjects, Romanian and French dental students, was performed using the Willis Bite Gauge. The left hand of the subjects was scanned using a flat-bed scanner, and then measurements of palm width and finger length were carried out for each subject. Comparison between VDO values and finger length/palm width was conducted using one-way ANOVA and Student t-Test. Results: Higher VDO average values were found in French subjects compared with Romanian students. The same results were found according to gender; in both female and male subjects, lower values of VDO were found in the Romanian group. Higher values were obtained for women within each group when comparing to men. Statistically significant correlations of the analyzed parameters and VDO values were found. Higher statistical correlations of the studied variables were found for men compared to women in both groups. The highest statistical correlation was obtained between the VDO and the palm width measured at the fingerbase, followed by the middle finger length. Conclusions: The results showed the highest statistical correlation between the vertical dimension of occlusion and the palm width measured at the fingers’ base. Statistical correlations were also found between the VDO and the middle finger length. Simple formulas using finger length/palm width can be used for a rapid VDO determination.

Recent advances in digital dentistry have transformed occlusal analysis through the introduction of new digital workflows for recording static and dynamic occlusal contacts. This clinical study aimed to evaluate the reliability and concordance of two digital clinical workflows, the Medit i700 intraoral scanner and the Tizian JMA-Optic jaw-tracking system, using 100 μm articulating paper as the reference comparator for static and dynamic occlusal-contact recordings. Materials and Methods: Twenty-six participants aged 20 to 25 years were included in this study. For each participant, static and dynamic occlusal contacts were recorded in maximum intercuspation position (MIP), protrusive, and right and left laterotrusive movements, using 100 μm articulating paper, Medit i700, and Tizian JMA-Optic system. Intra-rater reliability was assessed using ICC(A,1) for the quantitative number of MIP contacts and Cohen’s kappa for dynamic occlusal-contact recordings. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the digital systems were evaluated relative to the articulating-paper reference comparator. Agreement between articulating paper and the two digital workflows was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient for the quantitative variables. Results: Intra-rater reliability was generally high but varied according to the recording method and occlusal-contact category. Overall, the Medit i700 showed numerically higher sensitivity and positive predictive value point estimates in several dynamic occlusal-contact categories than Tizian JMA-Optic, while specificity and negative predictive values were generally high for both systems. Both digital workflows showed good overall agreement with articulating paper in recording the number of occlusal contacts in MIP. Agreement was good at arch level, poor in the anterior regions, and moderate in the posterior regions. Conclusions: Both digital workflows showed generally high intra-rater reliability for dynamic occlusal recordings, with reliability varying according to the occlusal-contact category. Both systems demonstrated good agreement with the articulating-paper reference comparator for quantifying occlusal contacts in MIP, although substantial differences in measured contact area were observed. The numerical differences between Medit i700 and Tizian JMA-Optic should be interpreted descriptively rather than as evidence of superiority of either workflow. Although the digital systems provide valuable quantitative information for occlusal analysis, articulating paper remains a widely used conventional method for clinical identification of occlusal contacts and served as the reference comparator in the present study.