Marginal and internal fit of CAD-CAM inlay/onlay restorations: A systematic review of in vitro studies

Abstract

Statement of problem: Different parameters can influence the adaptation of computer-assisted design and computer-assisted manufacturing (CAD-CAM) inlay/onlay restorations. However, systematic reviews to identify and discuss these parameters are lacking.

Purpose: The purpose of this systematic review was to summarize the scientific literature investigating all parameters that can influence both the marginal and internal adaptation of CAD-CAM inlay/onlay restorations.

Material and methods: An electronic search was conducted by 2 independent reviewers for studies published in English between January 1, 2007 and September 20, 2017 on the PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science databases and in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Factors investigated in the selected articles included the type of CAD-CAM system, virtual space parameters, version of the software, type of block, luting procedure, type of restoration, sample size and aging procedure, evaluation method, and number of measurement points per specimen.

Results: A total of 162 articles were identified, of which 23 articles met the inclusion criteria. Nine studies investigated adaptation with different restorative materials, 2 evaluated adaptation according to the type of preparation design, 9 compared adaptation before/after thermomechanical loading, and 2 before/after cementation, 1 study investigated marginal adaptation based on whether the optical scan was made intraorally or extraorally, 1 compared adaptation with 5 and 3 axis CAM systems, and 1 assessed adaptation with 4 different intraoral scanners. The risk of bias was high for 7, medium for 15, and low for 1 of the studies reviewed. The high level of heterogeneity across the studies excluded meta-analysis.

Conclusions: Most of the studies reported clinically acceptable values for marginal adaptation. The performance of a CAD-CAM system is influenced by the type of restorative material. A nonretentive cavity preparation exhibited better adaptation than a retentive preparation. Most studies showed that thermomechanical loading affected the quality of marginal adaptation. Cementation increased marginal discrepancies. No statistically significant difference was found for marginal fit of onlays between intraoral and extraoral optical scans using a stone die. The number of milling axes, the type of digital camera, and the region measured were statistically significant in relation to marginal/internal adaptation. Values of adaptation recorded failed to reproduce the preestablished spacer parameters in the software. Clarification is needed concerning adaptation according to the type of preparation design, the type of material, the choice of intrinsic parameters for the CAD process, the type and shape of milling instruments, and the behavior of the material during milling. Adaptation of CAD-CAM inlay/onlays should be evaluated under clinical conditions.