Fiber-reinforced composite fixed dental prostheses in the anterior area: A 4.5-year follow-up

doi:10.1016/j.prosdent.2013.10.019

The Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry

Volume 112, Issue 2, August 2014, Pages 143-149

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prosdent.2013.10.019 Get rights and content

Statement of problem

Currently, fiber-reinforced fixed dental prostheses (FRC FDPs) are a reliable treatment option for the restoration of single missing teeth in the anterior area.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the survival of direct and semidirect fabricated FRC FDPs in the anterior area and to rate the quality of the outcome.

Material and methods

Twenty-four participants (12 men, 12 women) were included in the investigation. The prostheses were made of preimpregnated, unidirectional fiber-reinforced composite (FRC) (everStick, GC) by using a direct (n=18) or semidirect (n=6) technique. Eleven FRC FDPs had been placed in the maxilla and 13 had been placed in the mandible. Follow-up intervals were recorded, and the prostheses were classified as success (successful), survival (unfavorable event but still in vivo), or failure (lost). Quality was rated according to the modified United States Public Health Services (USPHS) or Ryge criteria.

Results

The FRC FDPs evaluated in this study showed an overall survival rate (success) of 72.6% and a functional survival rate (success + survival) of 85.6% (median follow-up 54 months). According to the USPHS/Ryge criteria, most of the restorations displayed excellent or good quality. Survival analysis was performed by the Kaplan-Meier method.

Conclusions

The FRC FDPs evaluated in this study showed promising survival rates and good quality after a median follow-up period of 4.5 years (quartile range 3.5 to 6.3 years), thus indicating that FRC FDPs are reliable treatment options for the restoration of single missing teeth in the anterior area. The use of preimpregnated FRC materials with higher fiber content might improve the clinical fabrication of FRC FDPs but does not influence their long-term clinical survival.

Section snippets

Material and Methods

Patients who had received a FRC FDP in the anterior area in the Department of Conservative Dentistry of the University Hospital Heidelberg between 2002 and 2007 were contacted. Twenty-four of them met the inclusion criteria and could be included in the study. Survival analysis was carried out by the Kaplan-Meier method after success, survival, or failure of the prostheses was recorded. Additionally, 17 of those FRC FDPs underwent quality rating according to modified USPHS/Ryge or FDI clinical

Results

In the group of 24 participants, there were 12 men and 12 women with a mean (standard deviation) age of 35.5 (20.4) years. Seven of the 24 participants were interviewed by telephone with no clinical examination. Each participant had 1 FRC FDP. Eleven FRC FDPs were located in the maxilla, and 13 FRC FDPs were inserted in the mandible. Retention on the abutment teeth was either surface retention (n=13) or minimally invasive cavity preparation (n=11). Twenty prostheses had a fixed-fixed design

Discussion

The null hypothesis tested in this investigation was rejected. Clinical midterm and long-term data on the performance of FRC FDPs are still limited.4, 8, 13, 15, 29 This study reports an overall survival rate of 72.6% after 54 months for FRC FDPs in the anterior area (Fig. 4). With regard to the authors' previous investigation, data from the present study confirm expectations on survival data after a follow-up period of 4.5 years.¹⁶ The results of the present study, however, are comparable with

Conclusion

In patients with good oral hygiene, direct and semidirect fabricated FRC FDPs provide a successful treatment alternative to the replacement of single teeth in the anterior area. The FRC FDPs observed in this study showed an overall survival rate of 72.6% and a functional survival rate of 85.6% after 4.5 years. Sixteen FRC FDPs were classified as successful, 3 FRC FDPs were lost (failure), and the FRC FDPs of 5 patients could be subsequently repaired and were classified as survival. The main