The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of prosthetic substrate type, resin cement shade, and opaquer liner application on the translucency and color matching of translucent zirconia- and lithium-based ceramics. Four A2-shade zirconia materials (Katana HTML Plus, STML, UTML, and YML), with and without an opaquer liner, lithium disilicate ceramics (Amber Mill LT and HT), and zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate (Celtra Duo) were investigated. Monolithic crowns and standardized rectangular specimens were fabricated using CAD/CAM technology and cemented with neutral, warm-shade, and opaque try-in pastes onto A2-shade composite resin and cobalt–chromium substrates. Color measurements were performed using a digital colorimeter based on the CIE L*a*b* system. Translucency parameters (TPs) and color differences (ΔE) relative to the A2 reference shade were calculated. Lithium-based ceramics exhibited significantly higher translucency than zirconia materials. Application of the opaquer liner on intaglio surface of crowns reduced their translucency. On A2-shade substrates, translucent zirconia luted with neutral or warm-shade paste demonstrated the most favorable color compatibility. In contrast, opaque try-in paste resulted in clinically unacceptable color deviations and loss of optical depth. On metallic substrates, most materials exhibited pronounced gray discoloration and substantial color mismatch, particularly lithium disilicate ceramics. These findings indicate that ceramic type, substrate color, opaquer liner application, and resin cement shade significantly influence the optical performance and final color outcome of all-ceramic restorations.
Dejak et al. (2026) studied this question.