Long-term survival of porcelain laminate veneers using two preparation designs: a retrospective study.

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the long-term survival of anterior porcelain laminate veneers placed with and without incisal porcelain coverage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two prosthodontists in a private dental practice placed 110 labial feldspathic porcelain veneers in 50 patients; 46 veneers were provided with incisal porcelain coverage, and 64 were not. The veneers were evaluated retrospectively from case records for up to 7 years (mean 4 years). RESULTS: At 5, 6, and 7 years, the cumulative survival estimates were 95.8% for veneers with incisal porcelain coverage and 85.5% for those without incisal coverage. The difference was not statistically significant. Six of the nine failures occurred from porcelain fracture in the veneers without incisal coverage. CONCLUSION: Although there was a trend for better long-term survival of the veneers with incisal porcelain coverage, this finding was not statistically significant.