Conical zirconia telescoping into electroformed gold: A retrospective study of prostheses supported by teeth and/or implants

BACKGROUND: Telescopic prostheses are an evidence-based treatment modality, and conical zirconia crowns and electro-formed gold copings have been used for dentures supported by teeth and/or implants. PURPOSE: We aimed to evaluate the survival rates of zirconia-based tooth/implant restorations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 126 telescopic overdentures, all retained by conical zirconia crowns and electro-formed gold copings, were retrospectively evaluated and failures analyzed for abutment configurations. Survival rates and modifying factors were evaluated by Kaplan-Meier analysis, log-rank testing, and Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: We evaluated observation periods of up to 11.5 years (mean: 45.25 ± 25.11 months). Five-year prosthesis survival was 96.9 ± 2.2% (95% CI: 92.6-100). Six dentures had been lost, and these failures were significantly associated with specific abutment configurations. CONCLUSIONS: Within the limitations of this retrospective study, the concept of conical zirconia telescoping into electro-formed gold provides a viable alternative to other telescopic designs used for removable dental prostheses. The concept is well suited especially for tooth/implant-supported prosthetic rehabilitation.