Factors Affecting Resin Polymerization of Bonded All Ceramic Restorations. Review of Literature REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Increased conservative and cosmetic dental practice has raised the demand for predictable adhesive all ceramic restorations (Inlay, onlay, crowns and FPD). Many new bonded all ceramic systems have been introduced improving their optical, mechanical, adhesive and working properties. As they are adhesively bonded to tooth substrate (enamel and dentine), the resin luting cements and the adhesive interface are pivotal for their longevity. Light-cured resin cements (LCC) are often preferred due to their controlled polymerization characteristics. As there is no chemical curing for LCC they require sufficient light to initiate and maintain polymerization. However deep preparations and thick restorations may decrease the light intensity resulting in incomplete polymerization. Other factors like ceramic type, shade and translucency; resin cement type, composition and shade; light curing unit and method of testing similarly influence the luting resin polymerization and its investigation. Insufficient polymerization could lead to poor mechanical and biological properties of the luting cement, compromised mechanical characteristics of bonded ceramics and a decrease in the bond strength between tooth and restoration. This literature review will evaluate multiple factors which could potentially influence the resin polymerization of all ceramic bonded restorations.