Prosthodontic Treatment for Severe Oligodontia with Long-term Follow-up

To express the early prosthodontic treatment strategies for severe oligodontia patients with or without a syndrome and to share details of their experiences of the long-term follow-up.

Patients with severe oligodontia (excluding the third molars, and with six or more congenitally missing permanent teeth) who had finished prosthetic rehabilitation between 2001 and 2014 and who had undergone at least 1-year follow-up at the Department of Prosthodontics, Peking University School of Stomatology were included in the study. The general and oral characteristics were determined and examined, interdisciplinary plans were provided, and the prosthodontic treatment conditions were described and evaluated.

In total 26 subjects were included. Twenty males and six females, whose first dental visit occurred between the ages of 2 years and 9 months old, and 31 years old were recorded, of which, 12 (46.2%) subjects had non-syndromic oligodontia and 14 (53.8%) had oligodontia with different syndromes. The number of congenitally missing teeth (excluding the third molars) was between 7 to 28 (mean = 18), with 14 and 21 teeth in the non-syndromic and syndromic oligodontia patients, respectively. Most of the patients accepted conventional prostheses and two had implant-supported crowns or bridges. The age of the first prosthesis delivery ranged from 3.5 to 31 years old. The follow-up period ranged from 15 months (1 year and 3 months) to 162 months (13.5 years), with a mean of 108 months (9 years).

Early treatment for young patients and long-term follow-up greatly benefits patients. Interdisciplinary treatment ensures more satisfactory results.