The American College of Prosthodontists (ACP) has released clinical practice guidelines in the Journal of Prosthodontics (December 29, 2015) for patients with dental restorations.
Patients with dental restorations supported by natural teeth, such as crowns, bridges, and veneers, or by implants can keep their teeth healthy using a lifelong recall and maintenance approach, according to the new guidelines.
"Often patients are unaware of the required brushing and general maintenance needs when they have expensive implant restorations," ACP President Carl Driscoll, DMD, said in a statement. "The take-home message from the systematic reviews and clinical practice guidelines is that implant-supported restorations require ongoing at-home maintenance and regular recalls for an enduring result."
ACP led a scientific panel of experts appointed by the ADA, the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), the American Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA), and ACP who evaluated and debated findings from two comprehensive systematic reviews covering 10 years of the research literature: "Recall Regimen and Maintenance Regimen of Patients with Dental Restorations - Part 1: Tooth-Borne Restorations and Part 2: Implant Borne Restorations." The outcomes and consequences considered during formulation of the clinical practice guidelines were risk for failure of tooth- and implant-borne restorations.
"The new clinical practice guidelines will help dentists and hygienists to standardize effective oral health maintenance and improve patient care," Donald Curtis, DMD, said in a statement. Dr. Curtis and Lily Garcia, DDS, tested the guidelines with peer review to ensure that they are sound and scientifically based, and that they can improve patient outcomes for long-lasting restorations.
In addition to maintaining regular dental hygiene practices, the guidelines recommend that patients with restorations visit their dentist at least every six months for clinical examinations to clean, adjust, repair, or replace their restorations. The guidelines not only recommend how and when practitioners should see patients for dental restoration maintenance and follow-up, but also how they should educate patients to take care of the restorations at home.
ACP is offering free access to selected research in the Journal of Prosthodontics from December 29 through 2016 to celebrate National Prosthodontics Awareness Week in April.
"If you don't take care of your restored teeth, you are at risk of losing your teeth and your investment in them," Dr. Garcia, vice chair of the ACP Education Foundation, said in a statement.
The project was funded in part by Colgate-Palmolive.
