Clinical Survival Rate and Laboratory Failure of Dental Veneers: A Narrative Literature Review

There is a vast amount of published literature concerning dental veneers; however, the effects of tooth preparation, aging, veneer type, and resin cement type on the failure of dental veneers in laboratory versus clinical scenarios are not clear. The purpose of the present narrative review was to determine the principal factors associated with failures of dental veneers in laboratory tests and to understand how these factors translate into clinical successes/failures. Articles were identified and screened by the lead author in January 2024 using the keywords ‘‘dental veneer”, “complication”, “survival rate”, “failure”, and “success rate” using PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Science Direct. The inclusion criteria included articles published between January 1999 and January 2024 on the topics of preparation of a tooth, aging processes of the resin cement and veneer, translucency, thickness, fabrication technique of the veneer; shade, and thickness of the resin cement. The exclusion criteria included articles that discussed marginal and internal fit, microhardness, water sorption, solubility, polishability, occlusal veneers, retention, surface treatments, and wear. The results of the present review indicated that dental veneers generally have a high survival rate (>90% for more than 10 years). The amount of preserved enamel layer plays a paramount role in the survival and success rates of veneers, and glass-ceramic veneers with minimal/no preparation showed the highest survival rates. Fracture was the primary failure mechanism associated with decreased survival rate, followed by debonding and color change. Fractures increased in the presence of parafunctional activities. Fewer endodontic complications were associated with veneer restorations. No difference was observed between the maxillary and mandibular teeth. Clinical significance: Fractures can be reduced by evaluation of occlusion immediately after cementation and through the use of high-strength veneer materials, resin cements with low moduli, and thin layers of highly polished veneers. Debonding failures can be reduced with minimal/no preparation, and immediate dentin sealing should be considered when dentin is exposed. Debonding can also be reduced by preventing contamination from blood, saliva, handpiece oil, or fluoride-containing polishing paste; through proper surface treatment (20 s of hydrofluoric acid etching for glass ceramic followed by silane for 60 s); and through use of light-cured polymerization for thin veneers. Long-term color stability may be maintained using resin cements with UDMA-based resin, glass ceramic materials, and light-cure polymerization with thin veneers.