Dentist’s Perspective Regarding Usage of Different Fixed Prosthesis Removal Systems in Islamabad and Rawalpindi

Abstract

Background: Crowns and multi-unit fixed partial dentures have a limited lifetime. They fail for a number of reasons. The removal of provisional crowns and bridges is generally simple, however for permanent crowns, it becomes more challenging. Careful removal of FPD can help a dentist simplify a resto or endo procedure. The aim of this article was to analyze the different methods available for the removal of crowns and bridges and their awareness among dental practitioners Study Design & location: This was a cross-sectional study based on a questionnaire. The questionnaire was filled by a total of 250 general and specialist dentists who were practicing in various individual and group-based dental practices as well as private and government setups of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Methodology: The questionnaire comprised a total of 13 questions to find out dentists' views about the usage of different system’s available for dental crowns and FPD removal. Participants were selected by random sampling. The results were then analyzed using SPSS version 23. Frequencies, percentages of different variables used in the study were calculated to identify the co-relation among different attributes. P-value of less than or equal to 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The study reflected that out of those who answered, 247 dental professionals (98.5 %) preferred using hemostats or Morrell sliding hammer or a combination of both as they offered better control of force. A small percentage (approx 2%) of dentists used diamond or carbide burs as their first preference to trim off old crowns. Clinicians rarely used laser due to its high cost and less availability and its effectiveness primarily related to Porcelain jacket/ Zirconium crowns. Conclusion: It was concluded from this study that the majority of dentists preferred Morrell type crown remover with sliding hammer due to its ease of availability, universal acceptance, simple to use and because as it offered better control of force as opposed to spring-lock type Keywords: Crown and bridge removal, Crown and bridge disassembly, Crown and bridge failure.