5-year Survival Rate of Prosthodontic Abutments with Questionable Periodontal Prognosis

One of the many challenges that face dental clinicians is determining the suitability of periodontally compromised teeth as prosthodontic abutments. This challenge is magnified in a dental school setting where there is constant interaction between different faculty members with varying opinions, philosophies and background. However, despite multiple treatment options, the patient ultimately decides which option to choose. One of the most basic questions that patients ask prior to making a decision is, “How long can I expect this treatment to last?” It is often difficult to answer this question because there are no definitive or tangible means to accurately determine suitability of periodontally compromised teeth as abutments. This stems largely from the lack of evidence-based criteria and practitioner subjectivity in determining prognosis. Objectives: The purpose of this preliminary study is to compare the 5-year survival rates of prosthetic abutment teeth assigned a questionable versus good prognosis at the time of initial treatment. Methods: Study material will include dental charts of patients from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry (UDMSD) who have worn a fixed or removable partial denture for at least 5 years. The following data will be abstracted from all dental charts: 1) periodontal diagnosis and prognosis of teeth prior to prosthodontic therapy; 2) presence or absence of abutment teeth assigned a questionable or good prognosis prior to prosthodontic therapy; 3) number of teeth present and 4) general demographic information such as age and gender. Analyses will include descriptive statistics, survival analysis and logistic regression. Results: Findings from this preliminary study will be beneficial in determining whether periodontally compromised teeth are suitable as prosthodontic abutments. Conclusions: Results from this preliminary study will be used to further our understanding of whether the survival of prosthodontic abutments is dependent upon periodontal prognosis.