Pre-Prosthetic Preparation in the Treatment with Fixed Prosthetic Constructions

The authors aim was to determine the role of pre-prosthetic periodontal preparation in the life expectancy of dental bridges. Materials and methods A retrograde screening study was performed on 58 patients with bridge restorations, subsequently divided into two groups Group 1 involved patients who had undergone pre-prosthetic periodontal preparation and Group 2 where patients had not had any pre-prosthetic periodontal preparation. Inclusion criteria were subjective complaints, life span of the bridge, evaluated according to the three medico-biological criteria and according to the periodontal pocket depth. Changes were followed up in four successive examinations after 1 week, 1 year, 2 years and 5 years. Results The results pointed towards a significant correlation between participants affiliation to a particular group (Group 1 or Group 2) and the progression of the periodontal pocket depth (P=0.20). A linear correlation was established between the number of patients in Group 2 and any discrepancies in the preventive (R=0.792, P less than0.01), functional (R=0.742, P less than0.01) and aesthetic criteria (R=0.881, P less than 0.01). At the first control examination, Group 2 patients had subjective complaints which over time (after 3 years and 5 years) intensified. Such observations were not found among Group 1participants. Conclusion The longevity of dental bridge prostheses is contingent on the state of the hard and soft tissue of the oral cavity. Pre-prosthetic periodontal preparation is essential in achieving long-term functionality, lack of subjective complaints and good aesthetic