Does veneering technique affect the bond strength of bilayer Y-TZP? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Statement of problem. Reasons for failures of bilayer yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (Y-TZP) restorations include the core-veneer interface bond strength. The influence of the veneering method on the bond strength of veneered Y-TZP is unclear. Purpose. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the effect of the veneering method on the bond strength of bilayer Y-TZP. Material and methods. This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Searches were performed on PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science (Core Collection), and Scopus for in vitro studies evaluating the effect of the veneering technique on the bond strength of bilayer Y-TZP. Statistical analyses were performed with random-effect models (alpha=.05). Results. From 619 identified studies, 140 were selected for full-text analysis and 16 were included. Manual searching yielded no additional articles. The meta-analyses comprised 15 studies, and 1 study was included only in the descriptive analysis. Meta-analyses compared the hand-layered method (control) with pressed, fused, and cemented veneering methods. The fused and cemented techniques were analyzed by using subgroups assessing the veneering ceramic type (predominantly glass-ceramics and particle-filled glass-ceramics). Similar bond strength results (P=.540) were found for pressed and hand-layered veneered Y-TZP specimens. Fused veneers achieved higher bond strength values (P<.001) than the hand-layered veneers on Y-TZP frameworks, irrespective of the veneering ceramic type (predominantly glass-ceramics: P=.002; particle-filled glass-ceramics: P<.001). Global and subgroup analyses indicated that lower core-veneer bond strength values (P<.001) were found for cemented in relation to hand-layered veneers. Conclusions. Core-veneer interfacial adhesion was equivalent for pressed and hand-layered veneering techniques. Improved bond strength, regardless of the veneer ceramic material type, was achieved by the fused veneering method, which seems to be a promising choice for the veneering of Y-TZP. In contrast, the cemented method may be unsuitable for veneering Y-TZP structures because of its lower bond strength than the hand-layered veneering technique.