Survival of glass-ceramic materials and involved clinical risk: variables affecting long-term survival.

The fundamental objective of dental treatment is the continued health and longevity of the dentition. While advances in material formulations and clinical techniques promise to benefit patient care, various confounding variables (i.e., acid etching, preparation design, patient gender) affect the outcome of a dental restoration. These factors can be difficult to simulate in a laboratory setting that accurately depicts the clinical environment. As an alternative, this article presents a synopsis of the authors' prospective clinical study of all-ceramic restorations and explains the relationship of several variables to their long-term survival.