EFFECTS OF GOLD AND BONDED CERAMIC INLAYS ON THE ABILITY TO PERCEIVE OCCLUSAL THICKNESS

Any crown or inlay preparation will be accompanied with pulpal involve ment and possible altered biomechanical and/or viscoelastic properties concerning the treated tooth. This study was aimed to assess this inf luence in terms of differences in interocclusal discrimination thresho ld value, before and after rehabilitation with gold inlays and by comp osite resin bonded ceramic inlays. Twenty patients were included and t reated with one gold and three ceramic inlays each. For purposes of de termining the discrimination threshold between the inlays and antagoni zing teeth, plastic foils of different thicknesses were used. Each inl ay position, as well as a pair of control teeth, were tested before an d after treatment. Before rehabilitation an interocclusal and discrimi nation threshold of 24 mu m at the level of 80% right answers were det ermined. Treatment with inlays, however, resulted in a significantly d ifferent and increased threshold for every tooth/inlays combination. N o significant differences between the sessions were recorded for the c ontrol teeth. It could be concluded that, in the short term, an oral r ehabilitation with inlays and in particular bonded inlays will influen ce mechanosensitive afferents.