Posterior resin bonded fixed partial denture: A systematic review of five-year clinical outcomes

The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the 5-year clinical performance of posterior resin bonded fixed partial dentures (P-RBFPDs).

Electronic literature searches were conducted on PubMed/Medline, Embase, Scopus and Web of Science for clinical studies with 5-year or more follow-up periods and screened by 2 independent reviewers. Information on P-RBFPDs with its clinical outcomes were extracted. Statistical analysis was performed based on the defined failure rates to estimate the 5-year and 10-year survival rates along with annual failure rates of P-RBFPDs.

A total of 15 out of 283 studies were analyzed statistically based on the inclusion criteria. The overall estimated 5-year and 10-year survival rate were 82.77% (95% CI: 75.88-87.85%) and 68.51% (95% CI: 57.57-77.17%), respectively. The estimated annual failure rate was 3.78% (95% CI: 2.59-5.52), with no significant differences among P-RBFPDs based on prosthesis type (Fixed-Fixed, Fixed-Movable, Cantilever) or framework materials at the 95% confidence level. Despite this, non-cantilevered P-RBFPDs demonstrated nearly twice the estimated annual failure rate compared to two-unit cantilevered P-RBFPDs (4.19% Vs 2.20%). Two-unit cantilevered P-RBFPDs exhibited higher estimated survival rates at 5 and 10 years compared to non-cantilevered prostheses, although this difference was not statistically significant.

The type of prosthesis and framework material did not significantly impact the clinical outcomes. Two-unit cantilevered P-RBFPDs demonstrate higher 5- and 10-year survival rates compared to non-cantilevered options. Further high-quality long-term clinical trials are still needed.