Purpose: This study evaluated treatment outcomes of 4-unit porcelain-fused-to-gold fixed dental prostheses (FDPs) replacing 2 adjacent missing teeth. Materials and Methods: A total of 102 FDPs made in an undergraduate university clinic for 73 patients were evaluated for up to 20 years, with a mean survival follow-up time of 11.4 years. All patients were offered an oral health maintenance program. Treatment failures were divided into irreversible (loss of FDPs/finish line involved) or reversible (FDPs and finish line intact after conservative treatment) complications and into biologic and technical/patient-related failures. Results: The Kaplan-Meier overall estimated survival rate was 68.3% at year 20. There was a statistically significant difference (P = .007) between the survival rates in the maxilla for the vital group (73.8%) and those for the root canal-treated group (25.1%). Comparing the survival rate in the root canal-treated group for the restorations in the maxilla (25.1%) versus the mandible (66.8%), a statistically significant difference (P = .011) was found. The main reason for irreversible failure was caries (32.0%). Conclusion: The estimated successful outcome of 4-unit FDPs over an up to 20-year period is considered favorable and should be compared with the survival rates of other treatment options for the replacement of 2 adjacent teeth. Occurrence of a previously reversible complication appears to be a predictive factor for an irreversible complication later on. A reversible complication within the first 2 years will lead to an early irreversible complication. Int J Prosthodont 2008;21:259-266.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.