A Comparison of Gingival and Periodontal Health in Anterior Teeth Restored With Porcelain-Fused-to-Metal and Zirconia Crowns

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OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate and compare the gingival and periodontal health of teeth restored with zirconia or porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) crowns in the maxillary anteriors. MATERIALS: This study was conducted in the Department of Prosthodontics, Rajarajeswari Dental College and Hospital, Bangalore, India. A sample size of 20 patients who require PFM or zirconia crowns was considered in this study, one group consisting of 10 patients rehabilitated with zirconia crowns and the other group consisting of 10 patients rehabilitated with PFM crowns. The respective patients are checked for the Plaque Index (PI) of teeth before tooth preparation using the World Health Organization (WHO) probe and gingival status using the Gingival Index (GI). The tooth preparation with a 2 mm subgingival finish line was done for the respective anterior teeth, followed by crown placement. The patient was followed up after one week for baseline reading, three months, and six months to evaluate the gingival and periodontal health of the restored teeth using the GI and PI. The readings showing the periodontal status were recorded for the anterior teeth before and after restoration with zirconia and PFM crowns. RESULTS: In summary, while both groups demonstrated stable oral hygiene scores over time, the zirconia group showed significantly better performance in maintaining lower scores for plaque and gingival health at the six-month mark, indicating a more favorable outcome for long-term oral hygiene. CONCLUSION: Initially, no notable differences were observed in the scores immediately after cementation and at the three-month mark. However, at the six-month interval, the zirconia group exhibited significantly lower scores for both plaque and gingival health, indicating superior outcomes in maintaining oral hygiene compared to the PFM group.