Journal of Dental Science and Medicine
Open Access

Abstract

Resin-bonded fixed dental prostheses (RBFDPs, so-called Maryland bridges) with two metal retainer wings have been introduced over 30 years ago for a minimal invasive replacement of missing teeth. However unfortunately due to various reasons metal-ceramic RBFDPs are not considered a comparable treatment modality to implants by most of the dentists Cantilevered RBFDPs with a single ceramic retainer wing were introduced 20 years ago. They provide better esthetics and are less invasive than two-retainer RBFDPs. In the meantime long-term data of this minimal invasive treatment option are available. Similar concepts are now also implemented for the replacement of posterior teeth that show promising medium-term outcomes comparable to single tooth implants. This lecture summarizes when RBFDPs present a favorable, minimally invasive and less costly treatment alternative to single tooth implants.

Biography

Matthias Kern graduated 1985 in Dentistry from Albert-Ludwigs University at Freiburg, Germany. He was Assistant Professor in the Department of Prosthodontics in Freiburg, from 1985-1991 and from 1994-1997. From 1992-1993 he was Visiting Research Associate Professor at the University of Maryland at Baltimore. Since 1997 he is Professor and Chairman of the Department of Prosthodontics, Propaedeutics and Dental Materials at the Christian-Albrechts University at Kiel, Germany. From 2012-2016 Matthias Kern was President of the German Association for Prosthetic Dentistry and Biomaterials and serves in the Editorial Board of various peer-reviewed scientific journals.

E-mail: mkern@proth.uni-kiel.de