Cervical margin relocation in indirect adhesive restorations: A literature review

The aim of this review was to summarize the existing scientific literature investigating on cervical margin relocation technique (CMR) performed prior to the adhesive cementation of the indirect restorations. An electronic search with no date restriction was conducted in the MEDLINE database, accessed through PubMed. The following main keywords were used: “cervical margin relocation”, “coronal margin relocation”, “deep margin elevation” and “proximal box elevation”. Seven in vitro studies and 5 clinical reports investigating on CMR are taken into consideration for the present review. The most frequently investigated parameter in almost all of the in vitro studies was the marginal adaptation of the indirect restorations. One study additionally assessed the influence of CMR on the fracture behavior of the restored teeth and one study assessed the bond strength of the indirect composite restoration to the proximal box floor. Clinical reports provided documentation with a detailed description of the treatment protocol. In the current literature no randomized controlled clinical trials or prospective or retrospective clinical studies on CMR technique could be found. On the basis of the reviewed literature, it can be concluded that currently there is no strong scientific evidence that could either support or discourage the use of CMR technique prior to restoration of deep subgingival defects with indirect adhesive restorations. Randomized controlled clinical trials are necessary to provide the reliable evidence on the influence of CMR technique on the clinical performance, especially on the longevity of the restorations and the periodontal health.