Extraoral Cementation Technique to Minimize Cement-Associated Peri-implant Marginal Bone Loss: Can a Thin Layer of Zinc Oxide Cement Provide Sufficient Retention?

This report describes the use of laboratory-fabricated crown intaglio replicas for extraorally prepared cementation of fixed restorations to implants. This technique minimizes excess cement and may therefore reduce the risk of cement-related marginal peri-implant bone loss. It is unclear whether the remaining thin layer of luting agent provides sufficient retention if low-adhesive zinc oxide (ZnO) cement is used. In 85 consecutive patients, 113 single crowns were cemented to implants using extraoral cementation technique (ECT) and ZnO cement. All patients were followed for 6 months and investigated for decementation. Seven events of decementation (incidence: 6.19%) were found in 7 patients (8.24%). ECT may represent a viable cementation technique for implant-supported single crowns, even using low-adhesion cements.