Composite retained onlay bridges. A follow-up study in adolescents

A follow-up study of composite retained onlay bridges inserted to replace permanent anterior teeth in adolescents was performed. The material comprised 100 bridges and the dominating reasons for replacement of teeth were aplasia and trauma. Clinical controls were performed every six months and the mean observation time was 34 months. (Range 11-59 months). Seventyone bridges were functioning without complications during the observation period. Dislodgement occurred in 29 bridges on 54 different occasions. Dislodgement was seen more frequently in boys. The dominating reason for dislodgement was new trauma during sports activities or fights, which occurred more frequently in patients with trauma as the original reason for replacement of teeth. Owing to the tooth-preserving potential and reversibility, it is considered a valuable method of replacing missing anterior teeth in young individuals. Further investigations should concentrate on technical development aimed at achieving optimum retention and on clinical evaluation over longer periods.