There is a low risk of facing damage and chipping for prostheses in the anterior region. Nonetheless, the questionnaire revealed the unexpected result that indirect composite facing crowns accounted for 21.3% of the total. This may be because there are many indirect composite resins (Estenia, Ceramage, etc.) available in Japan, and crowns and bridges in the anterior region (natural abutment teeth) are covered by certain types of insurance in the country (National Health Insurance and Social Insurance), with the result that Japanese dentists are familiar with these materials and use them frequently. Consequently, it can be surmised that using these materials in implant prostheses is more common than in Europe and the USA. However, no survey of prosthesis selection has yet been carried out, and future research on that subject is expected.

Concerning the types of prostheses used in the posterior region (Q6) (Figure 3), PFM design accounts for about 40% of the total, although the questionnaire also revealed a trend (in 9.1% of all cases) toward metal occlusal designs to avoid fracture and chipping of the veneer material. The same trend is evident in indirect composite facing crowns, where metal occlusal designs are used in about 35% of all cases that this type of prosthesis represents. In the past, the PFM crown was frequently used in implant crowns and bridges. However, a trend is seen toward increasing indirect composite resin use as a veneer material for implant superstructures. In addition to improvements in the physical properties (strength, wear resistance, and discoloration resistance) of indirect composites in recent years, their selection as veneer materials that chemically bond to titanium against the backdrop of increasing CAD/CAM-designed titanium frameworks, because of the low reliability of veneering porcelain, in terms of bonding strength, when used with titanium frames.