Clinical Outcomes of Tooth- and Implant- Supported Restorations Performed in a University-Based Undergraduate Program After 13 to 15 Years.

Purpose: To assess the clinical concept of patient treatment with fixed tooth- and implant-supported restorations in a university-based undergraduate program after 13 to 15 years.

Materials and methods: In total, 30 patients (mean age 56 years) who had received multiple tooth- and implant-supported restorations were recalled after 13 to 15 years. The clinical assessment comprised biologic and technical parameters as well as patient satisfaction. Data were analyzed descriptively, and the 13- to 15-year survival rates for tooth- and implant-supported single crowns and fixed dental prostheses (FDPs) were calculated.

Results: The survival rate of tooth-supported restorations amounted to 88.3% (single crowns) and 69.6% (FDPs); in implants, it reached 100% for all types of restorations. Overall, 92.4% of all restorations were free of technical complications. The most common technical complication was chipping of the veneering ceramic (tooth-supported restorations: 5.5%; implant-supported restorations: 13% to 15.9%) regardless of the material used. For tooth-supported restorations, increased probing depth ≥ 5 mm was the most frequent biologic complication (22.8%), followed by endodontic complications of root canal-treated teeth (14%) and loss of vitality at abutment teeth (8.2%). Peri-implantitis was diagnosed in 10.2% of implants.

Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that the clinical concept implemented in the undergraduate program and performed by undergraduate students works well. The clinical outcomes are similar to those reported in the literature. In general, the majority of biologic complications occur in reconstructed teeth, whereas implant-supported restorations are more prone to technical complications.