Masking Ability of Bi- and Tri- Laminate All-Ceramic Veneers on Tooth-Colored Ceramic Discs

Statement A predictable esthetic outcome is imperative when placing ceramic veneers. Discolored teeth pose a major challenge as sufficient material thickness is required to achieve a good esthetic result. There is limited evidence in the literature that compares the masking ability of multi‐laminate veneers. Purpose The aim of this in‐vitro study was to compare the masking ability of bi‐laminate (BL) and tri‐laminate (TL) all‐ceramic veneers cemented on tooth‐colored ceramic discs. Materials and Methods A total of 40 veneers (shade A1, 10‐mm diameter, 0.8‐mm thick) were manufactured—20 BL veneers (0.4‐mm pressable ceramic coping veneered with 0.4‐mm thick enamel layer) and 20 TL veneers (0.4‐mm coping veneered with 0.2‐mm thick opaque interlayer and 0.2‐mm thick enamel layer). A bonding apparatus was utilized to adhesively cement all veneers on the ceramic discs (shade A1), simulating teeth of light and dark color. The resulting groups (N = 10 each) were the reference groups (shade A1 ceramic base) BL‐1 and TL‐1 veneers, and the test groups (shade A4 ceramic base) BL‐4 and TL‐4 veneers. The color of the cemented veneers was measured using a spectrophotometer. The data were converted to CIE L*a*b* coordinates, and ΔE* were calculated to allow for statistical analysis. Results The color differences between the samples with the A1 and A4 ceramic bases were significantly lower when covered with TL veneers (mean ΔE*: 3.2 units) than with BL veneers (mean ΔE*: 4.0 units: p