Abstract
Objectives
This study aimed to assess the survival rate and complications of posterior tooth‐supported cantilevered fixed dental prostheses (C‐FDPs) over a minimum 3‐year observation period.
Materials and Methods
The systematic review followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Relevant studies were identified by electronic searches in PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, and Embase databases. Two reviewers selected studies on posterior tooth‐supported C‐FDPs applying the inclusion criteria, extracted data, and assessed quality using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) tool. Meta‐analyses focused on the survival and failure rates of C‐FDPs.
Results
Ten studies were included. The survival rates of the C‐FDPs were 95.57% over 3 years and 93.45% over 5 years. Premolar‐ and molar‐replacements showed no statistically significant differences in 3 and 5 years (96.24% and 93.82% for premolar‐ versus 94.49% and 90.98% for molar‐replacing prostheses). Maxillary and mandibular replacements had similar survival rates of 96.29% and 93.89% in 3 years and 5 years, respectively. Mesial‐ and distal‐cantilevered prostheses had survival rates of 100% at both time points.
Conclusion
Tooth‐supported C‐FDPs exhibit comparable performance in the maxilla versus the mandible, premolars versus molars, and mesial versus distal abutments, with minimal reported biological and mechanical complications. However, the limited number of studies underscores the need for further high‐quality clinical research to validate these results.