COMPARISON OF PARTIAL AND FULL CROWNS AS RETAINERS IN THE SAME BRIDGE

The purpose of this study was to assess longitudinally the success of partial and full crown abutment pairs in the same bridges. Fifty patie nts with a mean age of 45 years (range 22-70 years) were examined duri ng spring 1981 (1-5 year follow-up), 33 of whom were examined a second time during spring 1990 (10-15 year follow-up). The status of the par tial crowns, full crowns, and their abutment teeth was assessed using standardized questions, and clinical and radiographic examinations. At the first followup examination, all partial and full crowns, and cons equently all bridges, were still in use. Before the second follow-up e xamination one of the full crown abutments had become badly decayed, a nd the bridge, including the partial crown, had been removed. The fail ure rate was 0.2% per year for the full crown as a unit, and consequen tly 0.2% per year for the bridge as a unit.