Is it possible to increase the life-span of a restoration?

Method:

Ten years prospective double blind clinical study. Sixty six patients, from 18 to 80 years of age (average age 27) with 277 RCB or Am were examined from the Operative Dentistry Clinic, University of Chile and signed the agreed consent form. Inclusion criteria: Bravo restorations with one or more localized defects according to the United States Public Health Service, USPHS/Ryge Criteria. Exclusion criteria: Xerostomia and incapability to attend for treatment. Bravo restorations were assigned to MIT: Sealing (n = 37), Refurbished (n = 60), Repair (n = 30), Replacement (n = 23) and Untreated control group (n = 75). Two blind calibrated evaluators (Kappa=0.76) examined by visual and tactile inspection and assessed the clinical parameters: Marginal Adaptation (MA), Anatomical form (A), Surface Roughness (R), Luster (L) and Secondary Caries (SC) at baseline and after 5 and 10 years (Kappa=0.80), the differences were analyzed with the Friedman test, using software SPSS 21.0.

Result:

After 5 and 10 years from MIT 255 restorations were again evaluated. When analyzed by clinical parameters: MA, all restorations were clinically acceptable (Bravo p> 0.05). Sealing group retained improvement at 5 and 10 years (p<0.05), Refurbished and Repair groups remained clinically acceptable (p<0.05), Replacement group maintained improvement (p<0.05), and Untreated control group downgrade significantly (p<0.05) compared with the baseline data.

Conclusion:

Restorations remain clinically acceptable after 10 years with minimally invasive treatments. With minimal invasive treatments it is possible to significantly increase the average life span of restorations. Restorations untreated, progressively deteriorate significantly at 5 and 10 years. Ascribed to: PRI-ODO - UCHILE - 12-005