Resident doctors' perception and practice of resin-bonded bridges

Abstract

Background: Resin bonded bridges (RBB) was introduced as an alternative to conventional bridges tor tooth replacement under certain clinical conditions. It was designed as a temporary restoration which is reversible and the clinicians' major concern has been its longevity. The major cause of failure was attributed to de-bonding caused by complex multi- directional inter-abutment stresses associated with the 3-unit bridge that challenges the retainer and adhesive bond. The study aimed to assess the attitude, knowledge and practice of resident doctors on the performance factors of RBB. Methods: Across-sectional study conducted amongst residents at an update course using self-administered questionnaires. The first part of the questionnaire consisted of questions related to participants' socio-demographics, intended area of expertise, years of experience and percentage of RBBs performed in their clinical prosthodontic / restorative practice. The second part of the questionnaire comprised close-ended multiple-choice questions which were designed to extract the opinion and understanding of the respondents regarding performance factor for RBBs. The questions were related to clinical indications, prosthesis design etc. Results: Eighty percent of the participants indicated that had <10% tooth replacement service was done with RBB, 44.7% of the respondents considered RBB as a provisional restoration while 28 (36.8%) regarded RBB as both provisional and permanent restoration. About 76% of the respondents believe that perforated retainers were associated with clinical success of RBBs. 70% considered anterior maxilla as the most favorable location while class 1 jaw relation was preferred by 6 0 % of participants Conclusion: With less than 10% of teeth replacement done using RBBs, there is a need for continuing education opportunities for practicing dentists and better exposure of undergraduate and postgraduate students to clinical application of RBBs.