ESTIMATED 10-YEAR SURVIVAL AFTER CYCLIC LOADING OF POSTERIOR MINIMALLY INVASIVE DENTAL BRIDGES WITH NON-RIGID CONNECTOR

Abstract

This study aimed to create a new design for posterior minimally invasive resin-bonded bridges (MIRBB) by comparing the survival between two different designs after cyclic loading. Twenty-four extracted human teeth (12 premolars, 12 molars) were used in this study. One premolar and one molar were embedded in a self-curing acrylic resin to simulate the loss of a first molar. Specimen blocks were divided into two groups (n = 6). Prostheses in Group 1 with an extra-coronal occlusal rests as the onlay retainers and those in Group 2 with the intra-coronal proximal rests with non-rigid connector were cemented on abutments using Superbond C&B. A vertical force was applied onto two abutment teeth and pontic with a compressive load cycling of 50 - 800 N, frequency of 4 Hz, given a total of 2,500,000 cycles. The results demonstrated that all specimens in both groups survived after compressive load cycle test. This suggests that the MIRBB with intra-coronal rests and non-rigid connector may provide clinical long-term function as well as the contemporary MIRBB with extra-coronal rests and rigid connector.