Common post-fitting complications in tooth-supported fixed-fixed design metal-ceramic fixed dental prostheses

Objectives: to report the frequency of common complications and their levels in metal-ceramic fixed dental prostheses (mc-fdps). methods: a descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the prosthodontics department, khyber college of dentistry peshawar from january 2011 to october 2012. using a structured proforma, data from 139 subjects fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria for the study and reporting complications in their mc- fdps were collected using the method of interview, clinical & radiographic examination. results: of 139 subjects (mean age = 34±6.4 years), 81 (58.3%) were males and 58 (41.7%) were females with a male to female ratio of 1.4:1. de-cementation was the most common complication (41.7%). least common complication was secondary caries (6.5%). level-1 complications were more prevalent (77.7%) than level-2 complications (22.3%). in 91.4% cases, complications occurred before the fdp completed their fifth-years’ service life with 25.2% of these occurring within the first years’ service life. conclusion: irrespective of the type of complications, level-1 complications were more common with decementation being the most common complication. one-quarter of all the complications occurred within the first-year service life of the fdps highlighting concern over the quality of the provided mc-fdps.