All-ceramic crowns are used as alternatives to conventional metal-ceramic crowns for the restoration of single teeth. Traditionally all-ceramic restorations possessed physical properties that contraindicated their use in many treatment situations. The strength that zirconia ceramics exhibit seems to support the hypothesis that, in specific situations, an all-ceramic crown may be used to restore removable partial denture (RPD) abutments in areas previously reserved for metal or metal-ceramic restorations. Abutments for RPDs may now be fabricated with Procera AllZirkon with the classically prepared guide planes and rest seats. This article provides an overview of a technique for the fabrication of a zirconia-based crown to be used in conjunction with removable partial dentures using the Procera CAD/CAM technology.

(Quintessence Int 2006;37:283–288)
Key words: abutment teeth, all-ceramic crown, Procera, removable partial denture, surveyed crown, zirconia