Perceptions of rehabilitated patients with fixed partial dentures as to the temporary restoration

ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT This study evaluated patients' perceptions regarding the installation of temporary fixed partial denture (TFPD). A questionnaire developed that addressed patients' perceptions about the temporary restorations, applied to patients after concluded their treatment. Responses were analyzed by descriptive statistics and contingency tables were constructed to statistically analyze the relationship between patients' perceptions of age, gender and type of prosthesis. We interviewed 28 patients (23 female; 5 male). In the results, 53.57% of the patients reported improvement in the chewing, 3.57% of the patients reported an improvement in speech, 21.43% of patients reported improvement in both aspects and another 21.43% of patients did not report functional improvements in speech and in chewing. Regarding dental pain, 89.28% did not present. In the hygienization aspect, 46.42% of the patients had difficulty, and 25% of the patients had bleeding gum. Finally, 89.28% of the patients reported that a TFPD made it possible to predict the final treatment outcome. No statistically significant difference was found when age (p = 0.86062) and gender (p=0.41225) were correlated. However, the type of prosthesis influenced patients' perceptions of TFPDs (p = 0.01254). It is concluded that TFPD is an important step in the treatment with fixed prosthesis.