Changes over time in the clientele and restoration pattern in a dental school prosthodontic department

The clientele and the production of single artificial crowns and fixed partial dentures in the Department of Prosthodontics were compared from 1964/68-1982/87. In the first period 65 per cent of the single crowns were made for women versus 55 per cent in the second. In the first period 69 per cent of the crowns were placed in the upper jaw as against 60 per cent in the second period. On average 1.6 crowns were made per female patient in the first period versus 1.4 per male patient. In the second period both sexes averaged 1.8 units. In both jaws the percentage of root-filled crowned teeth had increased in the second period to 60 per cent from 48 per cent in the upper jaw and 46 per cent in the lower jaw. In both sexes maxillary and mandibular teeth were crowned on average 13 years later in the second period than in the first. Sixty per cent of the fixed partial dentures were made for women in the first period versus 55 per cent in the second. In the first period 74 per cent of the bridges were made for the upper jaw as against 70 per cent in the second period. The mean pontic to abutment ratio was 0.7 in both periods. The maximum number of bridges in the first period were made for patients 40-59 years of age versus 50-69 years in the second period.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)