Comparing Long-Term Outcomes of Hybrid and Conventional Resin-Bonded Fixed Partial Dentures

Objectives: To compare the long-term survival of metal-ceramic resin-bonded fixed partial dentures (RBFPDs) with conventional wing-wing retainers (cRBFPDs) versus hybrid retainers (mRBFPDs) combining adhesive wings with crowns or partial crowns.
Methods: Eighty-nine participants received 62 cRBFPDs and 32 mRBFPDs (n=22, adhesive wing and crown; n=10, adhesive wing and partial crown). Follow-ups occurred six weeks after cementation and annually thereafter, with a mean observation time of 8.1±5.1 years. Kaplan–Meier survival analyses and log-rank tests were used to compare survival, success, and debonding-free survival. Cox regression assessed the effects of sex, location, jaw, retainer design, rubber dam use, and adhesive luting system on complication incidence (α=.05).
Results: Survival at 5 and 10 years was 100% and 89.8% for cRBFPDs, and 92.9% and 75.4% for mRBFPDs (log-rank, p=.038). Success rates were 94.4% and 75.4% for cRBFPDs, and 82.3% and 64.2% for mRBFPDs (p=.387). Debonding-free survival was 94.4% and 82.4% for cRBFPDs, and 89.6% and 79.8% for mRBFPDs (log-rank, p=.998). Rubber dam use (p=.046) and non-vital teeth (p≤.001) significantly influenced complication rates, while other variables had no significant effects.
Conclusions: Hybrid RBFPDs showed acceptable long-term performance but tended to have lower survival rates compared to conventional designs, likely due to pre-existing defects of abutment teeth restored with crowns as fixed partial denture retainer.