The aim of the study was to evaluate the quality of metal-ceramic reconstruction fabricated from common metal alloy and ceramic material. In our Republic, this type of treatment is commonly used in everyday clinical practice.We have evaluated 52 crowns placed in 19 patients (14 women, 5 men). The crowns were fabricated from ceramic material Vita and chromium-cobalt-nickel alloy. During clinical examination we have concentrated on the following items: Crown margin placement – parallel with marginal gingiva (34.6%), or placed above marginal gingiva (65.4%). As for the crown margin placement, no difference between the vestibular (34.6% and 65.4% respectively) and oral (32.7% and 59.6% respectively) side of a tooth has been observed. Such crown margin placement is almost totally without risk of secondary caries development (1.9%). After two years of use the crowns remained mainly intact (96.2%), only in two cases (3.8%) we have found a crack, but without the metal alloy exposition. Neither the anatomical shape nor colour of the crowns has changed.We have detected optimum marginal adaptation in 71.2%, probing revealed impaired marginal integrity in 26.9% of cases, in one case (1.9%) we have discovered a gap between a crown margin and a tooth neck. In the scanning electron microscope the crown cusps were formed properly. The ridges were slightly smoothed out. Vestibular side of the ceramic crown was as smooth as the tooth’s own surface. It is obvious that after two years of use an abrasion combined with a physiological change of gingival margin have led to the gap formation and an impaired marginal adaptation of the crown. The gap width ranges from 45.0 µm to 108.3 µm. On the vestibular side of the crown we have discovered more serious impairment when compared to the oral side – 89.1 µm (SE 12.1) and 63 µm (SE 7.0) respectively. The difference is statistically significant.

        Key words: dentistry – prosthetics – crown – metal-ceramics – chromium-cobalt-nickel alloy.