Complications in metal-ceramic fixed dental prostheses among patients reporting to a teaching dental hopspital

Aims & objectives: this study aimed to report the distribution of biological and technical complications and their levels in patients' fixed dental prosthesis (fdps) reported to prostho-dontics department,khyber college of dentistry peshawar (pakistan). methods: during february 2007 to jan 2008,a descriptive study was conducted. data relating to 124 patients having complications with their levels in metal-ceramic fdps were collected using a structured proforma,by the methods of patient's interview,clinical and radiographic examination. data related to age,gender,types and levels of biological and technical complications,the fdp fitting place,fdp location in the dental arch as well as of the post-fitting duration were also recorded. results: subjects had mean age of 37+11 years. male to female ratio was 1.3:1. distribution of fdps was; hospital-fitted (56.4%),private-practice-fitted (32.2%) and quacks-fitted (11.2%). distribution of 210 noted complication events with reference to fitting place was; hospital-fitted (60%),private-practice-fitted (30%) and quack-fitted (10%). some 29% complication events were in fdps not older than a year,46% in those not older than 5 years and 25% in those older than 5 years. complication were; decementation (24.8%),caries (20.5%),peri-apical problems (18.1%),periodontal problems (11.1%),prosthesis fractures (9.1%),abutment fracture (7.1%),occlusal problems (6%) and esthetic-problems (3.3%). not-withstanding the varying levels of individual complication events,level-1 complications were 43%,level-2 were 44% and level-3 were 13%. conclusion: irrespective of the types and levels,some 75% complications occurred in fdps not older than 5 years.