Title of Thesis: The Effect of Cement and Cementation Technique on Cement Distribution under Fixed Restorations Purpose: Several different cements and cementation techniques have been utilized for cementing fixed prostheses intraorally. Factors that have been used in the past to evaluate difference cementation techniques include amount of excess generated, the ease of cleaning the excess, and the full seating of restorations. A little explored area of cementation techniques is the distribution of the cement under the cemented restoration, and whether or not any voids are generated. This study examines several different cements and cementation techniques to see if there is any difference in the cement distribution.

Materials and methods: Two cements (A resin modified glass ionomer and a resin cement) and three techniques (full coverage, cervical third coverage, and analog technique) were investigated. Six groups of samples were made, with twenty samples per group. All samples were cemented according to the specified technique, then photographed. All photographs were then analyzed with an image analysis software to measure the total area of void, as well as the number of voids. The average size of void per crown was also calculated. The data was then analyzed using Two-Way ANOVA followed by Tukey HSD posthoc analysis. A p<0.05 was considered significant. Results: There was no significant different found between any of the groups in any of the metrics analyzed. No interaction was noted between cement and technique in any of the measured metrics. Conclusion: There is no significant difference in void area, number of voids, or average void size between any of the tested cements or techniques.