Abstract
Introduction:
The most common for the replacement for the teeth are the partial dentures. Hence, in our study, we analyzed the failure rates of the fixed partial dentures (FPDs).
Materials and Methods:
We conducted a retrospective study from the institutional record and analyzed 150 subjects. The various factors for the FPD's failure were noted and analyzed for any statistical significance.
Results:
We observed a significant difference between the various factors of the failure caries, periodontitis, uneasiness, and pain.
Conclusion:
The chief cause for the failure of the FPDs was identified to be caries, periodontitis, uneasiness, and pain.
KEYWORDS: Abutment teeth, failure rate, fixed partial denture
INTRODUCTION
The lost teeth are most commonly replaced with the fixed partial dentures (FPD). To understand the complications of the FPD, clinical studies with the follow up are required. The most used of the FPDs are all ceramic and the metal ceramic. Both the materials are used for the esthetic reasons and also with stand occlusal forces.[1,2,3] These FPDs have shown to be easily acceptable by the patient and are usually long lasting dissimilar to veneers. They can be used for the treatment of the grossly decayed teeth along with the replacement of the missing teeth. The complications are also seen in these like any other prosthesis. The failures are usually classified as esthetic, mechanical, and biologic failures.[4,5,6] These failures may be seen at the placement of the prosthesis or after the prosthesis is placed. Hence, in our study, we analyzed the failure rates of the FPDs.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We conducted a retrospective analytic study. We collected the patient's information from the institutional records. The data were collected from 2018 to 2020 for 2 years to note down only the failed FPD cases. Institutional ethics clearance was taken for the present study. We noted the demographics and the causes for the failures were noted. The data thus obtained were noted and analyzed for the significance keeping P < 0.05 as significant statistically.
RESULTS
We observed that there were 150 cases of failures. There was no significant difference between the genders for the failure rate [Table 1].
Table 1.
Gender distribution of the failure cases
| Gender | Cases |
|---|---|
| Male | 73 |
| Female | 77 |
| Total | 150 |
There was a significant difference between the various factors of the FPD's failures. The most noted reasons for the failure were periodontal diseases, caries, abutment fracture, periapical lesions, pain, or discomfort. Majority of cases reported of the pain as the reason for the failure Table 2.
Table 2.
Reasons for the failure of the fixed partial dentures
| Reason of the failure | n | P |
|---|---|---|
| Periodontal diseases | 11 | 0.04 |
| Caries | 11 | |
| Abutment fracture | 23 | |
| Periapical lesions | 30 | |
| Pain/discomfort | 75 |
DISCUSSION
The metal ceramic union is only physical that can lead to the failure at the interphase. Ceramic is brittle and the application of the same in the posterior region may cause the failure under torsional forces.[4,5] Hence, all ceramic crowns are preferred in the anterior region. However, the metal partial dentures or the metal ceramics are preferred in the posterior region. The failure of the partial denture depends on the lab, clinician, and also the patient.[6,7] The inherent properties of the material may also play a significant role in the failure. In our study, where we assessed the most common reason for the failure of the FPDs, we found that there was a similar distribution of the genders. The factors associated with the failure were periodontal diseases, caries, abutment fracture, periapical lesions, pain, or discomfort. The maximum number of the failures was reported to be due to pain. Among the 150 cases, 75 approximating to 50% were due to pain or discomfort. This is in accordance with the previous study.[5,6,7]
In terms of failure reasons our study concluded biological factors while other studies concluded mechanical and material factors. This may be due to the selection criteria as we only considered the institutional records. This may also be a limitation of our study. Another limitation of our study was the span or the number of the units in the prosthesis was not considered. In our study, the factors were not analyzed for the failure as we conducted a retrospective study.
Further studies are to be conducted to analyze the reasons for the failure of the FPDs as this will help in planning better prosthesis.
CONCLUSION
We conclude that the frequent of the complications were caries, periodontitis, uneasiness, and pain. Care should be taken to alleviate pain from the FPD that may be due to high points or sharp margins, as this is seen as a major factor in our study for the prosthesis failure.
Financial support and sponsorship
Nil.
Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
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