Prostheses Survival Rates and Technical Complications of Monolithic Zirconia Fixed Complete Arch Dental Prostheses

Abstract

ABSRACT:

OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this study was to determine the prosthesis survival and complication rates associated with monolithic zirconia implant-supported fixed full dental prostheses (IFCDPs) in completely edentulous patients after a minimum of 1-year clinical follow-up. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A convenience sample of subjects that underwent treatment with zirconia IFCDPs at the Division of Postgraduate Prosthodontics at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine (TUSDM) was used in the present retrospective study, yielding a total of 20 zirconia IFCDPs (14 participants). This study was an observational single-center retrospective clinical cohort study. Descriptive statistics were calculated. SPSS v. 28 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA) was used in the analysis. RESULTS: A study of 14 participants (28.6%) female and (71.4%) males (mean age: 67.6 years) investigated the survival and complication rates with monolithic zirconia dental prostheses. The mean duration of prosthesis use was approximately 36.8 months. The majority of the participants (85.7%) reported not using a nightguard. Bruxism was reported by 21.4% of the participants. The distribution of opposing dentition among the participants was as follows: 28.6% had natural dentition, 21.4% had implant-supported dentition, removable prosthesis, and combination of teeth and implants, and 7.1% had an implant overdenture. Out of the 20 arches, 60.0% of monolithic zirconia IFCDPs were made in the maxilla, and 40.0% in the mandible. Among the minor technical complications that were found, "Occlusal Wear" ‘Chipping’ and "Loss of Access Hole Material" emerged as the most prevalent, occurring in 25.0%,20.0%, and 20.0% of cases, respectively. In the case of the major complication "Fracture of Screw," one instance of occurrence was recorded, representing 5.0% of the cases. The mean of the number of major complications was 0.05 events. The mean number of Minor complications was slightly more common (it was 1.15 events). The mean total number of complications was 1.2 events. No prosthesis failure in this study accounted for100% survival rate of the IFCDPs. CONCLUSION: The study observed 14 individuals who received 20 monolithic zirconia implant-supported fixed complete-arch dental prostheses. Remarkably, all prostheses demonstrated a 100% survival rate, indicating no failures. The research yields valuable insights into the technical complications associated with monolithic zirconia prostheses. Nonetheless, the study's scope is limited by its small participant size and short follow-up period, potentially affecting the general applicability and long-term outcomes. To strengthen the evidence for dental prosthetic treatments, it's recommended that larger and more diverse studies with extended observation periods be undertaken.