Abstract:
Dentists need to consider various factors when choosing
restorative materials, with the longevity of restorations being
one of the most important criteria. Replacement of failed
restorations constitutes over 60% of operative procedures,
leading to high annual costs. This literature review compares
the survival rates of different restorative materials used for
both direct and indirect restorations. A literature search
was carried out using Pubmed to identify all articles on restorative
materials published from 1974 to 2014, of which 22
were included in this review. For direct restorations, amalgam
showed the highest survival rates (22.5 years), with
an average survival rate of 95% over 10 years, followed by
composite resins (90% over 10 years), and glass ionomer
cements (65% over 5 years). For indirect restorations, gold
restorations are still the “gold standard” with a 96% over
10 years survival rate, followed by porcelain-fused-to-metal
crowns (PFM) (90% over 10 years), and all ceramic crowns
(75-80% over 10 years). Amongst the ceramic restorations,
eMax shows the longest survival rate (90% over 10 years),
and Zirconia the lowest (88% over five years). The longevity
of restorations depends on many factors, including: materials
used, type of restorative procedure, patient parameters,
operator variables, and local factors.
