Review recommends tooth- and implant-supported fixed dental prostheses

The number of implants placed is constantly increasing, and so are the possibilities of different prosthetic solutions. Researchers from Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin have assessed the survival and complication rates of tooth- and implant-supported fixed dental prostheses (T-I FDPs) and found the prostheses to be a recommendable treatment option.

A total of eight studies were considered for a qualitative analysis, and these had observation periods ranging from three to ten years. Seven studies reported on T-I FDPs with rigid connections and one on T-I FDPs with rigid and non-rigid connections. The majority of the T-I FDPs consisted of three units.

The results showed that the estimated survival rates of T-I FDPs were 90.8% after five years and 82.5% after ten years. Implant survival estimates were 94.8% and 89.8% after five and ten years, respectively. From a total of 185 T-I FDPs placed in 141 patients, 21 minor and 23 major biological complications were observed, and 23 minor and three major technical complications occurred.

According to the research team, it is not possible to give a long-term prognosis, owing to a lack of well-designed studies with a follow-up period exceeding ten years. When the inclusion criteria of the systematic review are considered, T-I FDPs show acceptable survival rates after five and ten years, according to the researchers.

Concerning the clinical significance of their research, the authors stated: “Tooth–implant supported fixed dental prostheses are a recommendable treatment option in partial dentition. Based on the current literature, they should be rigidly constructed with a maximum number of four units.”

The study, titled “Survival rates and complication behaviour of tooth implant–supported, fixed dental prostheses: A systematic review and meta-analysis”, was published in the September 2019 issue of the Journal of Dentistry.