Survival rates and risk factors for dental prostheses in patients with maxillofacial defects: a retrospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: This retrospective cohort study evaluated survival rates of removable prostheses in patients with maxillofacial defects and assessed risk factors for prosthesis fracture, to provide descriptive data to aid clinicians in patient counseling and treatment planning.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Patients who initially visited the Maxillofacial Prosthetics Clinic at Tokyo Medical and Dental University Hospital in 2015 and received prostheses were included. Variables collected included prosthesis delivery date, arch treated, prosthesis type, opposing arch status, fracture occurrence, and denture base material. Prosthesis survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Potential risk factors were analyzed by Cox proportional hazards regression.

RESULTS

Among 302 prostheses, 111 fractured over a median follow-up of 1.6 years. The 1- and 5-year prosthesis survival rates were 85.1% and 47.7%, respectively. Opposing arch status was the only significant risk factor for fracture. Relative to complete dentures, implant-supported prostheses, teeth with removable partial dentures, and natural teeth showed 3.026, 2.395, and 2.794-fold higher hazards of fracture, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

This research reveals survival rates of removable prostheses in patients with maxillofacial defects and highlights opposing arch status as a significant fracture risk factor. These findings emphasize the need to consider opposing arch conditions during treatment planning and patient counseling on prosthesis longevity.