Patient age and long term survival of fixed prosthodontics

The possible relationship between patient age and the long term survival of fixed prostheses was studied in a randomised group of persons, who had received restorative treatment by general practitioners 15 years prior to this study. These fixed partial dentures had a mean extension of 6.9 units and a mean pontic/abutment ratio of 0.47. The group studied consisted of 77 persons who agreed to participate from an original group of 150 persons. Of the original group 20 had died, 17 were not traceable or unable to participate for medical reasons, and 36 declined to participate. The outcome of the treatment was compared between the following age subgroups (age as at the time of the original treatment) by division of the data at 37, 60 and 65 years. In these subgroups between 20 and 50 per cent of the prostheses had been lost or partially lost during the fifteen year period. Most of the failures and unacceptable quality ratings were found to be caused by fractures, loss of retention and/or dental caries. However, no systematic differences were found between any of the age subgroups studied.