Ceramic veneers have become one of the most widely used treatments in aesthetic dentistry to correct color alterations, tooth shape, dental wear or diastemas. In recent years, several clinical studies and systematic reviews have evaluated their long-term survival and the factors influencing their clinical success.
A recent systematic review analyzed multiple clinical studies to evaluate the survival of ceramic veneers and the complications associated with this aesthetic treatment. The results show that veneers present high survival rates when they are bonded mainly to dental enamel.
Survival rates
The studies included in these reviews show that ceramic veneers can reach survival rates close to 99% when bonded to enamel, with very high success rates during the first years of clinical follow-up.
Other studies report survival rates above 90% at five years, confirming that this treatment can be highly predictable when performed with appropriate case selection and correct adhesive protocols.
Importance of the dental substrate
One of the most important factors identified in the scientific literature is the type of dental tissue to which veneers are bonded.
Veneers bonded mainly to enamel show the highest survival rates and fewer clinical complications. In contrast, when there is greater exposure of dentin, failure rates may increase slightly.
This finding explains why many modern aesthetic dentistry techniques prioritize minimally invasive preparations or veneers with minimal enamel reduction.
Main causes of failure
Although success rates are high, scientific reviews identify several common causes of veneer complications or failure:
- fracture of the ceramic material
- debonding of the restoration
- marginal problems
- aesthetic changes over time
Most of these complications are related to factors such as adhesive technique, patient occlusion and the amount of available enamel.
Clinical implications
Overall, current scientific evidence confirms that ceramic veneers are a highly predictable aesthetic treatment, especially when procedures are performed with appropriate adhesive protocols and maximum preservation of dental enamel.
These findings support the current approach of modern aesthetic dentistry, which prioritizes conservative and minimally invasive adhesive treatments.
Source:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022391324002154