Lithium Disilicate Occlusal Veneers Survived at 95% in Cracked Vital Teeth

Edited by Dentaltown staff

Lithium disilicate ceramic occlusal veneers used to restore cracked vital teeth survived at a rate of 95% over two to four years, according to a prospective cohort study published July 29 in Clinical Oral Investigations.

Researchers followed 60 cracked teeth in 51 patients. Fifty-seven of the 60 restorations survived over the follow-up period.

The broader integrity rate was 85%, or 51 of 60 restorations. Three restorations fractured severely enough to require remaking, and six developed marginal defects that required repair.

None of the restorations showed severe discoloration or secondary caries. Every tooth in the cohort was vital at the time of treatment, and the restorations were followed for between two and four years.

Second molars carried a significantly higher failure risk than the other treated teeth.

The authors concluded that occlusal veneers showed favorable medium-term outcomes for restoring cracked teeth, with a high success rate across the two-to-four-year follow-up.

The study was led by Xiang-Song Bai, Ying-Ying Hong, Xiao Shao, Meng-Ke Wang, and Yin-Fei Pu. The authors declared no competing interests.

The cohort was modest in size and was not randomized, and the analysis of failure risk factors was exploratory. The findings describe performance in selected vital cracked teeth rather than establishing occlusal veneers as equivalent to full-coverage restorations.

Sources:
Clinical Oral Investigations, “Clinical performance of lithium disilicate ceramic occlusal veneers for restoring cracked teeth: A 2- to 4-year prospective cohort study,” published online July 29, 2026: link.springer.com/10.1007/s00784-026-07044-x