Beyond Restoration
A Simple Way to Fix Porcelain Chipping in a Full Arch Implant-Supported Prosthesis
By Ricardo Mitrani on October 7, 2020 | commentsWhen delivering a full arch layered zirconia implant-supported prosthesis, a relatively common complication is chipping or fracture of the layered porcelain. Nowadays, we are moving away from prostheses that need 360-degree layered ceramics to a minimal layering design or fully monolithic to minimize the risk of chipping.
This visual essay walks through the basic steps of solving a fracture problem on a full arch layered zirconia implant-supported prosthesis.
![Frontal view on the day of insertion of a full arch layered zirconia implant-supported prosthesis on the maxilla and a hybrid implant-supported prosthesis on the mandible.](https://spear-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/digest/2020/09/simple-way-to-fix-porcelain-chipping/chipping-1.jpg)
![Five years after insertion, the patient fractured the buccal porcelain on #7, #8 and #9.](https://spear-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/digest/2020/09/simple-way-to-fix-porcelain-chipping/chipping-2.jpg)
![Close-up view of the fractured porcelain with a black contrastor.](https://spear-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/digest/2020/09/simple-way-to-fix-porcelain-chipping/chipping-3.jpg)
![The prosthesis was removed and analyzed in the master cast. No damage was observed in the zirconia framework or any other area of the prosthesis.](https://spear-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/digest/2020/09/simple-way-to-fix-porcelain-chipping/chipping-4.jpg)
![A PVS impression was made and both the impression and prosthesis were sent to the laboratory for veneer fabrication.](https://spear-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/digest/2020/09/simple-way-to-fix-porcelain-chipping/chipping-5.jpg)
![Porcelain veneers were fabricated while the patient utilized the prosthesis that was saved in the patient's box as a](https://spear-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/digest/2020/09/simple-way-to-fix-porcelain-chipping/chipping-6.jpg)
![Intaglio surface of the veneers before etching.](https://spear-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/digest/2020/09/simple-way-to-fix-porcelain-chipping/chipping-7.jpg)
![Frontal view of veneer try-in in the prosthesis.](https://spear-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/digest/2020/09/simple-way-to-fix-porcelain-chipping/chipping-8.jpg)
![Occlusal view of veneer try-in in the prosthesis.](https://spear-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/digest/2020/09/simple-way-to-fix-porcelain-chipping/chipping-9.jpg)
![Hydrofluoric acid etching of the intaglio surface of the veneers.](https://spear-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/digest/2020/09/simple-way-to-fix-porcelain-chipping/chipping-10.jpg)
![Hydrofluoric acid etching of the surface of the prosthesis.](https://spear-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/digest/2020/09/simple-way-to-fix-porcelain-chipping/chipping-11.jpg)
![Etched and silanized surface.](https://spear-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/digest/2020/09/simple-way-to-fix-porcelain-chipping/chipping-12.jpg)
![Bonding agent application to the receiving surface.](https://spear-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/digest/2020/09/simple-way-to-fix-porcelain-chipping/chipping-13.jpg)
![Bonding agent application to the intaglio surface of the veneer.](https://spear-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/digest/2020/09/simple-way-to-fix-porcelain-chipping/chipping-14.jpg)
![Veneer resin cement is applied and the veneers are seated in place extraorally in the master cast.](https://spear-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/digest/2020/09/simple-way-to-fix-porcelain-chipping/chipping-15.jpg)
![Excess cement is removed carefully and polished.](https://spear-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/digest/2020/09/simple-way-to-fix-porcelain-chipping/chipping-16.jpg)
![Frontal view of the repaired prosthesis on the master cast.](https://spear-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/digest/2020/09/simple-way-to-fix-porcelain-chipping/chipping-17.jpg)
![Frontal view of the repaired prosthesis seated in the patient's mouth.](https://spear-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/digest/2020/09/simple-way-to-fix-porcelain-chipping/chipping-18.jpg)
![Frontal view of the prosthesis after the occlusion was adjusted and polished.](https://spear-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/digest/2020/09/simple-way-to-fix-porcelain-chipping/chipping-19.jpg)
![Frontal view of the 3-year follow-up.](https://spear-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/digest/2020/09/simple-way-to-fix-porcelain-chipping/chipping-20.jpg)
A step-by-step technique to solve the porcelain chipping/fracture of a full arch layered zirconia implant-supported prosthesis is a very simple way to fix this problem without remaking the entire prosthesis.
Ricardo Mitrani, D.D.S., M.S.D., is a member of Spear Resident Faculty.