[Periodontal status of abutments of resin-bonded bridges]

In a combined retrospective longitudinal study an evaluation of different dental and periodontal indexes (tooth mobility, probing pocket depth, plaque index, sulcus bleeding index, probing attachment level) in 62 patients with 77 resin-bonded bridges was performed. The direct comparison between test (abutment) and control (non-abutment) teeth revealed no differences at the day of evaluation in comparison to the date of incorporation. The longitudinal evaluation resulted in more favourable values at the day of evaluation in comparison to the date of incorporation for both the test and control teeth. Despite the altered contour of the abutment teeth, resin-bonded bridges seem not to change the periodontal status in a long-term evaluation, if good patient cooperation and regular care by a dental hygienist are guaranteed.