[Monitoring trends in fixed partial denture design based on national surveys]

To restore partially edentulous arches reasonable number of fixed partial dentures (FPD) are used in Hungary. This paper describes statistic parameters of these restorations based on analysis of a large sample size. Dentists of the Department of Prosthodontics performed oral health surveys according to WHO criteria, first survey in 1985-1989 and second in 2003-2004. The oral surveys were carried out at the lung cancer screening stations among those individuals originally referred to undergo x-ray lung screening examination. In the "first" survey data collected on 6224 FPD; in the "second" survey data collected on 3676 fixed restorations were analyzed. Besides time parameters, number of pontic teeth, abutment teeth to pontic teeth ratio (abutment saturation), position of pontic teeth in the arch, position of abutment teeth in the arch, main features of "tooth location" adjacent to restoration (remnant tooth, crown, artificial tooth, missing tooth), framework- and veneering materials were investigated. For interpreting data SPSS 10.0.5 for Windows was applied. Restorations' mean survival time was 9.34 +/- 8.47 years. Average number of FPD unit was: 6.34 for the maxillary and 4.62 for the mandibular jaw. Average number of abutment teeth was 3.58 in the upper and 2.82 in the lower jaw. Most frequent abutment teeth of both the maxillary and mandibular jaw were canines (23%) (20%). In order of frequency: pontics of the upper jaw replaced first premolars (27%) and second premolars (23%); lower jaw pontics replaced first molars (36%) and second premolars (21%). Findings of our survey demonstrated that results were much jaw dependent, while participants' sex and age influenced the outcome less. Comparison between left and right side of the arch revealed considerable symmetry. Recently collected data of 2004 have shown increased extension of fixed partial dentures with significantly higher number of abutment teeth involved. Statistical analysis of data collected on fixed partial dentures provide a sound basis for estimating the present oral health status of the population. Monitoring patterns of change have an important epidemiological relevance. Results of our present findings serve as a reliable source to plan future strategy of the dental care system and also helps to measure efficiency of the dental education system.